Playing Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium is a bucket-list item for many country musicians. There are artists who have been making music and touring for years who still hope to stand on the hallowed stage of the Mother Church of Country Music. Then, there are those artists for whom the stars align and they get the chance to stand on those sacred boards early in their careers. Jackson Dean is one of those artists.
Dean made his Ryman debut in October of 2022. That night, he played an eight-song set before Carly Pearce took the stage. Next month, everywhere will get to relive that special moment with Jackson Dean. Today, he’s giving fans a taste of the collection with the live version of “Fearless” which makes it obvious that Dean had his game face on that night. Check it out below.
Live at the Ryman hits shelves and streaming platforms on April 14th. It will include live cuts of several songs from Dean’s debut full-length Greenbroke as well as two unreleased songs – “Heavens to Betsy” and “1971.”
Jackson Dean Discusses Live at the Ryman
“The Ryman is hallowed ground,” Jackson Dean said, according to Music Row. “It had been a bucket list item for me to take that stage. It was a blessing not only playing there but also capturing that moment in a way that I can revisit again and again.”
“I love that I can share that memory and the energy of that crowd with the rest of the world,” he added. “I hope the folks listening are transported to those pews and can feel the five of us giving it our all – no click, no tracks – just raw noise, running on pure adrenaline.”
A Show That Was a Long Time Coming
The 22-year-old rising country star visited the Ryman Auditorium for the first time when he was a teenager. He’s had his eyes on that stage since then.
“So, the first time I ever came to [Nashville] I was 15, and I wanted to go to the Ryman. That was one bucket list place for me to play, and I’ll tell you why. We saw Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss, just the two of them, which was amazing,” Jackson Dean recalled. He went on to say that, even in the “nosebleeds” he and his parents were transfixed by Krauss and Johnson.
The next day, Dean and his family took a tour of the venue. After seeing the green rooms and backstage areas, Jackson stepped on the stage for the first time. It was then that he knew he had to play the Mother Church one day. “I walked out in the Circle, and I just said to myself, ‘I’m gonna play here one day. Right here.’ And since then, that’s all I could really think about,” he revealed.
Jackson Dean Live at the Ryman Tracklist
- Greenbroke
- Trailer Park
- Fearless
- Wings
- Heavens to Betsy
- 1971
- Don’t Come Lookin’
- Red Light (Metal Version)