
Kat Brake’s rental vehicle damaged in the Music City Sheraton parking lot during SPBGMA (1/25/25)
During this past weekend’s National Convention of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA), the music, the jamming, and the fun was marred by two nights of parking lot vandalism.
Both Friday and Saturday nights, many cars had windows smashed by robbers at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, 105 in total over the two days. Fortunately, we haven’t been able to find anyone reporting the loss of any instruments, as it appears that the individuals breaking windows were looking for things they could steal and sell quickly.
Police told Kat Brake, a mandolinist and singer from Florida whose rental car was damaged, that these robbers had hit 15 different hotel parking lots on Saturday night. They took three hours in responding to the Sheraton incidents as a result.
She tells us that she had nothing in her vehicle, but that it was a major inconvenience all the same.
“The hotel staff says that it happened before 8:00 pm, before their security guard comes in. But I arrived there at 9:00 and it occurred afterwards. 28 cars were hit in the front parking lot on Saturday, after 77 on Friday (these were at the Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn, edited), and the hotel did not notify guests.
Whoever was doing it seemed to be focusing on vans, SUVs, and trucks. The police said that they thought they were looking for weapons.
It was a mess. There was glass everywhere, and the next day no one could get auto glass companies to come out because they ran out of inventory with so many break ins.
I waited 12 hours for a tow truck to take it back to the rental agency.”
Many others who had driven their personal or band vehicles had to make the trip home with a taped over window, no fun in the wintertime.
One such was Amanda Cook, who was at SPBGMA representing Mountain Fever Records. She tells us that she got away with only the damage to her car.
“Thankfully, I did not have anything stolen. They left my CDs in the seat. For sure not bluegrass fans. 😃
The drive home on Sunday was awful with no driver’s window, and the cost of replacement is hurtful, but it could have been so much worse. I know folks that had wallets stolen, etc.
It does make me think twice about going again…or at least not staying there.
We were staying at the Embassy Suites down the hill, so it was ALL of the hotels in the area. The hotels are aware of it; our hotel rep said they have been getting hit on a regular basis for the last 18 months. The employees are leaving their cars unlocked and the windows rolled down so they don’t get busted out. Wish we would have known that.”
We spoke briefly with Josh, who was the manager on duty on Monday morning at the Sheraton, and he told us that any comment on this situation would have to come from their corporate headquarters. We haven’t received any as yet.
SPBGMA says they knew nothing about the break ins, only being notified after the convention had concluded.
A most unfortunate marring of an otherwise successful celebration of the 50th anniversary of SPBGMA.
UPDATE 3:45 p.m. – We spoke just now with Mark Deinhart, Area Managing Director at HEI Hotels & Resorts, which includes the Sheraton Music City, who tells us that they actually had no break ins on Friday or Saturday, but did have 22 cars damaged on Sunday evening. Only four were SPBGMA guests.
Deinhart also indicated that they are working with Nashville Police to be sure that this never happens again, possibly positioning police vehicles in the lot for special events. “We are determined to keep the parking lot safe for all of our guests,” he said.
Stephanie Jones with SPBGMA reiterates that she was never notified of break ins in the parking lot, and didn’t learn about this problem until things closed down. She has also been assured that the Sheraton is planning to provide more security for next year.
She also shared her heartfelt sympathies for the people who were affected, and mentioned that anyone who ever has issues while at at SPBGMA event should contact them right away so that they can assist in resolving them.
We also spoke again to Kat Brake who made clear that the break ins on Friday were, in fact, “down the hill” at the other hotels (Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn), and that the discrepancy between her account of the break ins on Saturday showing up on Sunday, as the police didn’t arrive until Sunday, after midnight.


