Our pick
Music City Kickoff Concert with Lee Brice, Gabby Barrett and Payton Smith
Saturday, September 5, 2026 · 7:00 PM · Ascend Amphitheater, Downtown
The Read
Lee Brice writes and sings the durable middle of mainstream country — big choruses, a voice with grain in it, songs designed to survive stadium PA systems. Gabby Barrett brings the bigger, more vocally athletic end. Payton Smith opens. Nobody here is going to surprise you, and that is not really the assignment. Ascend is an outdoor amphitheater on the Cumberland with the downtown skyline behind the stage, and on a warm September evening that view does a meaningful amount of the work. Expect a crowd in team colors, expect singalongs, expect the whole thing to feel like a tailgate that hired a headliner. Go for the setting and the mood more than the setlist.
The Venue
Ascend Amphitheater
310 1st Ave S
A downtown outdoor room on the riverfront that earns its keep during summer touring season — lawn and reserved seating, the Cumberland at your back.
Tickets
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Shape The Night
Before
CremaBright, seriously-run downtown espresso bar. Closes at 6, so it's a daytime or early-evening move before a Broadway show — not an after-stop.
Show: Music City Kickoff Concert with Lee Brice, Gabby Barrett and Payton Smith at 7:00 PM
After
Pinewood SocialVintage bowling lanes from a 1950s Indiana Bowl-O-Rama. Handcrafted cocktails, dipping pools, a covered patio. A quieter way to keep the night moving once Broadway gets to be too much.