Despite storms and venue complications Thursday night, organizers of the Match Records country showcase at Seasons of Murfreesboro knew the show must go on.
The crowd was thin, but the strumming of guitars and rich vocals filled the room as Madi McGuire’s opened with a cover of Megan Moroney’s “Am I Okay?”
McGuire, an MTSU freshman from Oklahoma, draws inspiration from Moroney.
“This next song is one that I wrote with a guy that I was actually talking to a few months ago,” McGuire said. “The first time we ever hung out he was like, ‘Do you want to write a song?’”
After writing the chorus, the guy ghosted her and she finished the song herself, McGuire said. She played the original, then transitioned into “Strangers Again,” followed by Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and another original, “Hey Future Self.”
“So back in December, I actually had the opportunity to open up for Zach Bryan [at] the biggest stadium in Oklahoma. So that was probably my favorite experience I’ve had to date,” McGuire said. “And so it wouldn’t be right to not sing one of Zach Bryan’s songs — so this is ‘Oklahoma Smokeshow.’”
McGuire ended her set with an original called “Fireworks and F-150s.”
The crowd chatted as Carly Rose Ratcliffe tuned her guitar to get ready for her first song, a cover of Tyler Childers’ “All Your’n,” followed by an original.
“When my ex-boyfriend and I started dating, he pointed out to me that 65 is the most common number in the world, and that you will see it everywhere, and it’s true,” Ratcliffe said. “Now you guys are going to start noticing it. But call me petty, this one is called ‘I-65.’”
She followed it up with another original about self-sabotage called “To The Moon” before introducing a new love song.
“I forget the title because I wrote it yesterday, but I hope you enjoy,” Ratcliffe said, causing the crowd to laugh and cheer.
She finished with her own rendition of “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, which the crowd welcomed warmly.
“[I’m] so excited to hear Tucker up next,” Ratcliffe said as she unplugged her guitar and exited the stage to applause.
The show had a brief intermission before Tucker Wilson got on stage with bandmate Levi Allen. The crowd quickly hyped up.
“What a beautiful crowd we have tonight,” Wilson said. “This just blows me away.”
The few students occupying tables laughed in response.
The pair started with an original called “Would She Be Proud?” followed by two more originals.
“I did not write this song, I wish I did,” Wilson said as he introduced his fourth song of the night, “Charleston Girl” by Tyler Childers.
The duo played one of Wilson’s older originals called “Truck Driving Girl” from an EP that he released in high school. They followed it up with a cover of Turnpike Trobadours’ “7 & 7.”
After the song, a spectator shouted, “Levi, let your hair down,” starting crowd chants for Allen to take down his ponytail.
Allen reluctantly agreed, but Wilson had one condition.
“Well, if Levi lets his hair down,” Wilson said. “Then we need a couple of people on the dance floor.”
A pair of girls jumped up from their table, and soon the small hardwood dance floor was occupied by students dancing to the duo’s performance of Brooks and Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Wilson and Allen continued to entertain the crowd beyond the set they prepared, ending the night with dancing and laughter.
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