Black Opry Records Launch Party Gives Country Music Fans Hope

“I feel like I’m a dog in the corner — I’m real lonely, I paid $50 for an Uber to the airport, and I couldn’t get eggs for breakfast this morning,” San Antonio-based singer-songwriter Nicky Diamonds told the crowd at Acme Feed and Seed Tuesday night.

Diamonds came to Music City for the launch party of Black Opry Records, the newest venture from the blog turned traveling show. Founded in 2021 by music journalist Holly G, The Black Opry Revue acts as an escape from the country establishment and its exclusionary bias against African American artists. Ironically, the lights of WKDF and CMT were shining down on the rooftop at Acme Tuesday, acting as visual representation of that establishment. From the beginning, this racism manifested itself in the split between “hillbilly records” and “race records” — similar genres but ones that were split up in the name of profit. Now, this dark side of the institution shows itself in more detached public incidents, from Morgan Wallen’s slur controversy to Jason Aldean’s incendiary single earlier this year.

In the songs he performed at the revue — one of which he penned in his hotel room earlier that day — Nicky Diamonds’ emotive blues chops shone through. He’s able to capture the intense emotions of grief, desire and anger, all accompanied by his gutsy slide guitar. In his newest song (which he didn't name), Diamonds harkens back to the notion of class solidarity, connecting the African American struggle with those of Native Americans or the poor. It’s reminiscent of the great poets of generations past — Langston Hughes or Woody Guthrie, for instance — pushing for social change through art. 

Similarly, longtime Black Opry member Jett Holden captures these racial struggles poignantly. On “Taxidermy,” he expresses his experience growing up Black and gay in the South in a lyrical gut-punch about false-intentioned relationships. With the lyrics, “I'm not a headline for your morning news report / Or a political debate you can retort / I'm a man who had some dreams that got cut short,” the crowd fell silent, listening to his honest, transparent songwriting. Exploring similar themes was Crystal Rose, whose song “Mad Black Woman” evokes the cathartic lyrics of Bessie Smith and the soulful voice of Alicia Keys. In the same way, Carmen Dianne and her acoustic bass took the R&B genre all the way, as she sang about the troubles that accompany a long-term relationship with a dynamic, moving range.

Also on the bill was Aaron Vance, who sought to capture the small-town living of Amory, Miss. His father was a preacher in that town of 6,000, and now that he lives in Nashville, Vance has settled into the local songwriter scene. The title cut from his 2016 album Shifting Gears tells his story with a brooding and powerful voice that commanded the stage: “I’ve been used to change / You can feel it in the songs I sing,” he crooned with the twang of George Strait or Waylon Jennings.

Representing the newer tide of country artists was Tylar Bryant, a former MMA fighter turned singer. With “That Ain’t Me,” he made a fun tune about bar-hopping feel right at home on Broadway. To end the night, singer-songwriter Denitia took the stage, accompanied by earlier performer Julia Cannon on background vocals. Hailing from Southeast Texas, the artist captured the “chaos that was 2020” with a succinct, beautiful group of songs. With Denitia and Cannon's delicate vocals meshing with one another, the set evoked the cinematic nostalgia of travel and working through financial struggle. 

After the show, the artists and their friends embraced and swapped stories on the rooftop: road stories, childhood stories and tales of their time spent in Nashville. Looking out onto the rest of Lower Broad, the event felt diametrically opposed to the exploits of the drunken masses below. In their weaving of complex social issues and forward-looking lyrics into a close-knit bond of artists, the Black Opry is an extremely rewarding experience, and one that redeems hope for the country music industry as a whole.