Thirty years ago, what was then known as the Nashville Arena was receiving the finishing touches.
Thirty years later, Bridgestone Arena is not only one of the busiest venues in the world, it’s also the anchor for Nashville’s Broadway that has become known across the globe.
Therefore, it’s only appropriate that we celebrate the Arena’s anniversary over the coming months ahead of the exact opening date in December - and look back at the events, people and memories that have made it so much more than another downtown structure.
Those flashbacks will begin on Saturday when the Predators host their annual PredsFest, presented by Ticketmaster - a celebration of the season that’s to come ahead of the final preseason game on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT on Bridgestone Arena ice.
Headlining PredsFest is Universal Crush, a band known for covering all the hits and then some. Made up of musicians who perform all over Broadway and beyond, the band will be playing a number of fan requests that recall the last 30 years of all genres of music, including some songs that simply help to define Predators hockey and what it means to call Music City home.
“We're in the feel good business,” Universal Crush’s Blair Gilley said. “Being a cover band, your main goal is to make people feel good, to play songs that they connect with, to play them well enough that they do connect with them, and just an overall vibe of fun to entertain the crowd. We just want to create a memory and just make people have joy.”
Gilley, who has been playing music his entire life, and has been with his current group for a decade, expects to play a little bit of everything on Saturday. While Nashville is best known for its country music, it’s called the Music City for a reason.
