Chapter 312-C

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Sunday Fan club activities began in the morning for Jo Dee Messina at The Belcourt Theater and concluded with Pam Tillis at The Wildhorse Saloon that evening.

In the Sports Zone downtown, we had the fourth annual Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race, sponsored by New Holland. The man to beat was last year’s champ, Darby Ledbetter, a country record maker who is also a three-tour veteran of the Middle East. Mark Collie, Megan Munroe, Richie Fields, Chuck Leavell, lead singer Adam Craig of TelluRide and dozens of other contestants tried to unseat him. But Darby prevailed for the second year in a row. Joey & Rory competed. Rory Feek can wear all the overalls he wants, but his wife Joey Martin’s tractor-race time was better. By the way, the tractors ran on Biodiesel fuel.

It was so humid on Sunday that even a short walk would leave your clothes soaked. Nevertheless, the outdoor attractions at Riverfront included Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, fast-rising Gloriana, the Eli Young Band and Darryl Worley. Booked at the Hard Rock were Matt Stillwell and The Block Family Band, among others. At the Sommet stage, your choices included The Grascals, Bomshel and T. Graham Brown. Inside the Sommet Center, rehearsals were underway for Tuesday’s CMT Awards. There’s no rest for the weary.

Sage Keffer was slated to open and Miko Marks to close at the final day in the popular, air-conditioned Acoustic Corner. I always feel a twinge of sadness on Sunday afternoon when the booth dismantling begins in the Convention Center. It’s like the circus is folding up its tents.

But there was still one more evening of music and memory making to go at LP field. Soaking up the final concert in the hospitality suite were Dale Bobo, Bill Bennett, the Chamber’s Butch Spyridon, Steve Moore, former vice mayor Howard Gentry, Ben Farrell and Charlie Monk. Bobby Cudd brought his teen daughter to see Taylor Swift on the big stage. Dan Ekback reported that he has a new publishing gig, with Platinum Pen.

Now it can be told: the suite’s annual bartender turns out to be “Rockit” Roger Richardson. His single “The First Cowboy in Space” was reviewed in last Friday’s “DisClaimer” column and is available on the current CDX.

The jets roared overhead one last time. Jack Ingram kicked off the show. On “Barbie Doll,” everyone sang along. For “Barefoot and Crazy,” they were on their feet. During “Love You” Jack waded into the crowd, singing and high-fiving fans. Co-host Melissa Peterman observed, “I’ll be his Barbie Doll any day.” Heidi Newfield did an acoustic set. She committed the perennial error of wearing black on the black CMA Fest stage, rendering her nearly invisible. Impending Opry cast inductees Montgomery Gentry were up next.

Co-host Lance Smith brought on Miranda Lambert. The fiery Miranda informed the stadium that she’d come all the way from the Lone Star State to show them how it’s done, “Texas style.” Taylor Swift was next, followed by a surprise appearance by Sugarland. Then came Kenny Chesney, a bunch of beach balls and the end of another fabulous Fest.

Chapter 312-A

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

Friday always seems, to me, to be the busiest day of the CMA Music Festival. On Wednesday and Thursday, the faithful gather. On Saturday and Sunday, they disperse to various Fan Club parties or find other ways to amuse themselves in Nashville “off campus.” But on Friday, they’re still fresh, ready to party and clustered together downtown.

The day was bright and sunny as I hit Lower Broadway. At the Hard Rock stage, brawny Stephen Dale had one couple dancing merrily in front of his stage. Riders in the Sky, who followed, kept the mood upbeat. Back for another year, The Naked Cowboy was entertaining fans in front of Cadillac Ranch, wearing only his boots, hat, guitar and underpants.

The Riverfront stage had the afternoon one-two-three punch of Eric Church, Craig Morgan and Randy Houser, stand-up singers one and all. Eric’s fans screamed wildly and sang along to every song. “Need God? Go to Church,” read one fan’s sign. “Church Revival” read another. With five separate shows, Eric was the most performing artist of the festival.

Taking it all in backstage were Steve Buchanan, John Peets, Judy McDonough and Jeff Walker. Steve had to leave early because Pam Tillis was autographing in Gaylord’s Opry Originals gift shop.

Meanwhile, up in the Convention Center booths, things were hopping. Even as late in the day as 4:00 p.m., Keith Anderson, Joe Nichols, Billy Yates, Donna Fargo, Moore & Moore, Wynonna Judd, Joey & Rory, Ashton Shepherd, Razzy Bailey, Trailer Choir and The Carter Twins were still signing away.

Here’s a sign of the times. Remember that huge book and record shop that took up half of the far wall in the hall? Gone. Instead, there was a postage-stamp sized Barnes & Noble booth with a few dozen selections.

Outside the Hall on 5^th Avenue North, the members of Rio Grand were posing for snaps in front of their brightly painted tour bus.

Kate & Kacey were harmonizing on the Sommet Stage. Cherryholmes later ended the day there. The family bluegrass band is that rare act who played both the CMA Music Festival and Bonnaroo last weekend. Inside the Sommet Center’s “needle,” an acoustic stage was set up for the “Second Friday Songbirds” songwriters.

In the smaller Family Zone tent, ABC soap stars were autographing and Chuck Wicks was in the midst of a fan Q&A session. He deftly dodged a query about when he and Julianne Hough will marry. “We’re happy with our relationship the way it is,” he said. He also suggested that the thing to do might be to wed during next year’s event. “Wouldn’t that be a festival?” he asked the fans. Behind him, in the big Family Zone tent, yodeling Taylor Ware and others were making “country music for kids.”

Big-head Cabbage Patch Kids characters were posing for photos. One Family Zone tent was for gathering citizens’ used musical instruments for use in Metro schools. Over at the nearby Rutledge on 4^th Avenue South, former American Idol rocker Bo Bice hosted his first fan club party as a country performer.

That night at LP Field, Mayor Karl Dean & Ann Davis, Gary Burr, Victoria Shaw, Tim Nichols, Stuart Dill, Mike Sistad, Lynn Aurelius, Drew Alexander, Anthony Smith and more worked the hospitality suite. Hank Adam Locklin helped Jo Walker Meador to a prime seat and served her beverages. Linda Davis & Lang Scott were there to watch daughter Hillary Scott do her thing in Lady Antebellum. Lang had his business cards for Musiccitynetworks.com, a company “by artists, for artists” that handles websites, brand management and merchandise.

Lady A performed splendidly, as did Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Jason Aldean and The Zac Brown Band. Rodney Atkins sang a snippet of “I Can See Clearly Now” as an intro to “If You’re Going Through Hell.” Martina McBride turned up to sing “Picture” with concert closer Kid Rock.