Eli Young Band played for an especially important audience last week during a stop in Nashvile: 30 veterans receiving kidney dialysis at a VA hospital in Music City.

"It was pretty incredible," lead singer Mike Eli told ABC Radio News. "I think it was really nice to see the optimism in a lot of these patients' eyes. . . . For us, it was just a great opportunity to be able to play for some veterans that sacrificed so much for their country."

The band's bass player, Jon Jones, told billboard.biz he was particularly touched by a veteran named Allan, who was celebrating a birthday.

"He had been a Navy SEAL for 28 years, and he couldn't have been more upbeat about his life and everything," Jon said. "He was really inspiring."

The CMA Award-nominated group was in town for the launch of Nokia Music, Nokia's new free music-streaming service. As part of the  event, Eli Young Band performed an acoustic set for industry heads in the rotunda of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.