Rocknite’s takeover of JBJ’s during CMA Fest felt less like a concert and more like a one-day music festival spread across multiple floors of a Nashville honky tonk.
It was clear weeks before the show that this event was going to be massively in-demand and destined to get a little crazy. Rocknite had put together a lineup that could easily sell out multiple days at an arena and brought it together in a venue that, at most, was built for a couple thousand fans.
As the day progressed, a growing crowd settled in front of the main stage, determined to secure a prime spot for Cage The Elephant’s headlining set. For many, that was a strategy that made perfect sense.
But rocknite at JBJ’s wasn’t designed as a one band, or even a one stage event.
While fans packed the first floor, the fourth-floor stage took on a life of its own. One set might spark a singalong while the next turned into a dance party. Artists mingled with fans between performances, and crowds found an intimate performance space that felt worlds away from the growing anticipation downstairs. By the end of the day, rocknite felt less like a showcase built around a headliner and more like multiple concert experiences unfolding simultaneously under the same roof.
At East of 8th, we’re never known to stand in one place too long. We set out to see as much as we could to bring you photos from across the event. (Make sure to check out the full photo gallery at the end of the article!):
The day began with a jolt from Pressure Heaven, whose loud, intense set immediately woke up the early arrivals. From there, the action spread throughout the building.
On the fourth floor, Kitty Coen delivered a performance that felt perfectly aligned with her self-described style of existing somewhere between a saloon and a séance.
JT Loux followed with a high-energy set that looked and sounded every bit the part of rock band swagger.
One of the recurring themes throughout the day was the reminder that rock music often feels completely different in person. Recordings can capture the songs, but they rarely capture the physical energy of a live performance. Common People provided one of the day’s earliest examples, bringing a level of intensity to the stage that simply hits harder in a live setting.
Mercury offered a different kind of surprise. Having previously seen her in a stripped-back, mostly acoustic setting, the contrast was impossible to miss. This full-band electric performance was, quite simply just that: electric.
Later in the day, Edgehill delivered a similarly expanded sound on the main stage, proving once again that some bands simply need to be experienced live.
As the afternoon crowd grew, so did the energy throughout the venue. Liam St. John blended roots influences with a heavier rock edge.
Upstairs, it was time for something a little bit different. Nashville’s New Translations transformed the fourth floor into one of the day’s most entertaining spots, keeping the crowd moving from start to finish.
Then came Mod Sun.
Somehow our first time seeing him live, Mod Sun delivered one of the day’s most relentlessly exciting performances. Standing still never seemed like an option. He kept the crowd moving, jumping, and fully engaged.
Willa Mae brought a similarly rebellious spirit, punctuating her performance with a keyboard-smashing finale that immediately became one of the day’s most talked-about moments.
By evening, navigating the venue had become an adventure of its own. Crowds filled stairwells, hallways, and every available viewing space as anticipation continued to build.
One of the biggest finds of the day came from Wynton Existing. The combination of stage presence, audience interaction, and genuine rock star energy made for one of the strongest performances of the entire event. The following day, while heading to CMA Fest, we mentioned rocknite to our Uber driver. His immediate response was, “You got to see Wynton Existing??!!” This is one to watch.
Dexter and the Moonrocks drew one of the day’s largest crowds, with fans enthusiastically embracing both the band’s music and laid-back sense of humor.
Knoxville’s Connor Kelly & The Time Warp kept the momentum going with a funky, dance-heavy set that served as an ideal bridge into the night’s finale.
By the time Cage The Elephant took the stage, JBJ’s was packed. Outside, hopeful fans continued waiting for a chance to get inside, just in case anyone left. Inside, the atmosphere felt more like a hometown celebration than a typical showcase performance.
Brothers Matt and Brad Shultz worked every inch of the room, refusing to let the stage define the performance. Instead, they turned the entire venue into part of the show.
For a showcase event, the band’s roughly 90-minute set felt huge. And when the opening notes of “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” arrived, the reaction was immediate. More than a decade after its release, the song remains one of those rare tracks that can instantly unite an entire room.
Rocknite may have been built around a headliner, but its success came from everything happening building to that moment. Across three floors and more than a ton of performances, the event delivered the kind of discoveries, surprises, and shared moments that make live music, especially live rock music, the amazing chaos that it is.
Photo Gallery:
Pressure Heaven:
Kitty Coen:
JT Loux:
Common People:
Mercury:
Liam St. John:
New Translations:
Wynton Existing:
Mod Sun:
Willa Mae:
Dexter and The Moonrocks:
Connor Kelly & The Time Warp:
Cage The Elephant:
Leave a Reply