Adam Hambrick and Morgan Dawson Brave Freezing Cold for the Sake of Music
The Venue
           The Basement is very aptly named. The brick venue is, as the name states, the basement portion of Grimey’s New & Pre-loved Music. When I first walked in, I noticed immediately that the temperature within the building hardly varied from the cold front breezing through Nashville on the outside (the artists had to retune their instruments several times). If you choose to go here for a show, be prepared to bring a coat and wear it during your visit. The chairs scrape loudly against the floor, which can prove distracting, and it is certainly an intimate space – I ended up sharing my little table with three (very kind) strangers.
           The Basement is decorated with a hodgepodge of musical paraphernalia – posters from older shows insulate the ceiling and walls, and the backdrop for the stage is a variety of different colored velvet curtains and cheesy Christmas lights. The sound is almost too intense for the space, but because the Basement is primarily a venue and not a bar, the crowd was engaged in the performance. So if you’re in the mood to witness a show in a creative, unique location, this is your place.
 Morgan Dawson
           This is an artist worth checking out. Clad in curls, pearls, and a little black dress, Morgan Dawson was the only one brave enough to face the freezing temperature without a coat. She was accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, which allowed for her voice to be the focus of the set. While she has a couple of more years to really cultivate her talent, Dawson is no doubt a talented songwriter and singer. She has a Carrie Underwood type power in her vocals that allow her to go from a sultry, low range to a thunderous roar.
           All of her songs related to love or heartbreak and were easily relatable. Her standout tune among the five performed was called “Something Borrowed”, which put a creative spin on the age-old belief that a bride should wear something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue on her wedding day. It is creativity like this that shines in the small venues of Nashville, and Morgan Dawson is well on her way to capturing the hearts of avid music lovers well beyond just this music city.
 Adam Hambrick
           Adam Hambrick climbed onto the stage with his Buddy Holly glasses and I knew it was going to be a fun time. Personable, funny, and overall charming, he knows how to interact with his audience and keep them engaged. He seemed truly humble and appreciative of the fact that he was on stage in a place packed full of people eagerly waiting to hear his music. With quips such as “If y’all came here to hear jokes tonight…I’m not very good at that”, Hambrick comes across as the type of guy you’d like to call your best friend.
           Personality aside, Adam Hambrick’s music is beautifully written and catchy. With a country/pop influence, his songs have the ability to easily cross from Top 40 radio to climb the country charts. What he does particularly well is give his audience a unique experience. When you go to a show, you want something different then what you’ve heard on the recorded CD. Hambrick provides this by creating an intense musical adventure that causes one to become immersed in the art. The entire crowd was wrapped up in the performance – not one person was able to sit still, and whether or not you wanted to move along to the beat of the music, it happened. Hambrick and his band made the audience forget the freezing cold and instead made everyone join together in the universal thought of “this guy is good. Really good.”Â
