BYE 2014.

Whether your year was similar to half-drowning in lava on Mount Doom (as pictured above) or it was one of the best years of your life, it’s coming to an end when the clock strikes 12 tonight. We couldn’t be more excited for another year in Nashville, but that doesn’t mean we can’t say a proper goodbye to the awesome year of 2014. Put on those trendy Nashville boots & leave your guitar case behind for a walk down memory lane…

TMZ set up shop in Nashville.

That’s right – the paparazzi machine that is TMZ came to the 615 (and not everyone was super thrilled about it). While they first came on the scene in March, the coverage picked up steam this summer. The good news? Most of the Nashville content is pretty much just Charles Esten being nice to people and singing in honky tonks. No harm, no foul! Here is a rundown of some sample stories we gathered for TMZ upon their arrival (like Taylor Swift buying antique doorknobs and Ben Rector losing a chip in his queso at Taqueria Del Sol).

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Ben Folds tried to save RCA Studio A (and eventually succeeded).

RCA Studio B’s lesser-known but equally historic counterpart, RCA Studio A, had been Ben Folds’ stomping grounds for years. The space is basically acoustic heaven (check out these 3 iconic in-studio performances) and has seen many a music legend record there. Folds warned Nashville the studio was in danger of demolition (to be replaced by condominiums) in an open letter to the city, in which he stated “While we Nashvillians can feel proud about the overall economic progress and prosperity we’re enjoying, we know it’s not always so kind to historical spaces, or to the legacy and foundation upon which that prosperity was built.” Nashville rallied, community leaders (such as Mike Curb) bought the building back, and another awesome piece of music history has been preserved. Well done, y’all!

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Nashville brought romance to The World Cup.

Boy meets girl. Boy and girl reside in Nashville, Tennessee. Boy and girl travel to Brazil with local sports fan group “American Outlaws”. Boy proposes to girl on national television. Yes, these local lovebirds made the front page of every major news outlet with their onscreen proposal during a USA win. Way to raise the bar, Chad!

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Sam’s Sushi closed its doors.

Nashville’s own version of Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” had been serving no-nonsense sushi rolls to the masses for ten years. When he closed his doors this summer, everyone was pretty devastated. We mournfully counted the reasons we would miss him and speculated on his next move. We just didn’t know it would be a few blocks over…

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Acme Feed & Seed opened for business…

That’s right, Nashville. If you’re looking for Sam, look no further than multi-venue newcomer to the downtown scene, Acme Feed & Seed. The building reclaimed its historic heritage and built on it – 4 floors to be exact, complete with one of the best rooftop views in town! Each floor has a different vibe (we gave you a run-down here). We’re just relieved we can still be on the other end of a disapproving look from our beloved Sushi Nazi if we ask for too much soy sauce.

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And so did a million other new restaurants.

We’re pretty spoiled when it comes to food, y’all. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the amazing eateries that came to our city this year: Sinema, Adele’s, Union Common, Flipside, Party Fowl, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Barista Parlor: Golden Sound, Prima, Love Peace & Pho…the list goes on. Oh, and Edley’s opened for brunch. Praise the Lawd.

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We hosted countless events, festivals, & conferences (which meant explaining our city to visitors).

In the wake of CMA Fest & ALL the conferences ever at the amazing new Music City Center, we had to put together 13 Things To Explain To Out-Of-Towners about Nashville. Spoiler alert: EVERYTHING IS ARTISAN.

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Nashville momentarily turned into a slip & slide at Live On The Green.

It was epic. Live On The Green kicked it up a notch this year, offering a three day festival and a season that included Ingrid Michaelson, The Weeks, Cage The Elephant, The Head & The Heart, Augustana, and The Lone Bellow. One night was extra special, though – the weather might have gone south, but there’s no rain on this Nashville parade. Concertgoers turned a setback into an opportunity and created an epic slip & slide. This is how we do.

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City Winery came to town…

City Winery’s venues are all over the country and carry some serious musical clout. In 2014, they brought that magic to Music City. Besides having a killer wine selection (priority numero uno), they’ve delivered some diverse programming that is spicing up the Nashville entertainment scene. Over the next few months, CW will be hosting everyone from Marty Stuart to Jeff Daniels. Check out the calendar!

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…And so did President Obama.

Presidents: they’re just like us. Ok, so we might not have the ability to be the leader of the free world (but dream big, champ), but we are similar to Obama in a very important way: we both dig tacos. While the Commander In Chief was in town for a speech and town hall meeting, he casually stopped by La Hacienda on Nolensville for some carry-out Mexican food. His name is Barack Obama, and he approves this queso.

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We had a lot of memorable Nashville adventures.

We came, we saw, we conquered. Keep growing this year, Nashville, and do what you wannado (we can help with that). It’s gonna be a great one.