Florida Georgia Line celebrated their performance at CMA Music Fest with a special plaque commemorating global consumption of over 1.2 million for their current single “Talk You Out Of It.”

Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta and BMLG EVP/BMLG Records President Jimmy Harnen, along with executives from the label and Big Loud Management walked out on stage after the duo’s performance of the hit during their headlining stadium set to surprise the superstar duo with the news.

 

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 623

The bottom line of the CMA Music Festival isn’t really music; it’s the fans.

No other music genre gives its consumers such reverence. And no other music fans display the loyalty and dedication that country music’s do. What we saw on Saturday (June 8) was an outstanding display of both sides of the coin.

“Tonight is the night we celebrate you,” said Miranda Lambert to the fans at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night. “Because we never take it for granted. Thank you for all your support.

“Thank y’all for standing in the rain for three days….I love country music. I love country-music fans. God bless y’all.”

“I’ll never be done thanking you guys,” said Brett Young when he addressed the stadium throng.

“This is a dream come true,” said Travis Denning.

They were addressing a massive gathering of people, all of whom were there to cheer their favorites with maximum volume and enthusiasm. This was on Day Three, mind you, yet not one ounce of stamina seemed to have ebbed.

Tens of thousands continued to crowd the streets of downtown Nashville all day long on Saturday. Light rain drizzles off and on all day were shrugged off by the attendees, who seem to get younger, more ethnically diverse and prettier every year.

At Fan Fair X in the Music City Center, Saturday’s Artist of the Day was Chris Young. Sony’s Randy Goodman presented him with plaques commemorating his two billion career streams and 12 million singles sold. Chris was quick to credit the fans.

“This is thanks to every single person here who has bought a CD, streamed a single or come to my concerts,” he said. “I can’t thank you enough for all the support you’ve shown me.”

At his Ole Red show later in the day, Chris introduced his fans to “Town Ain’t Big Enough,” a new duet with Lauren Alaina.

Also getting a surprise at Fan Fair X was Kelsea Ballerini. She was meeting and greeting fans when she learned that her “Miss Me More” has become a No. 1 hit.

Performing to capacity crowds that afternoon were Keifer Sutherland at the Budweiser Forever Country Stage, The Wandering Hearts at the Nashville Acoustic Corner Stage and Russell Dickerson at Riverfront.

Tracy Lawrence, T. Graham Brown, Tim Rushlow, Adam Sanders and Jeannie Seely delighted fans at the Forever Country Stage on First Avenue South. So did Eric Paslay in the HGTV Lounge. Newcomers King Calaway did the same at the Maui Jim Broadway Stage on Bridgestone Plaza. The Walk of Fame Park’s Chevy Breakout Stage featured Filmore, among others.

That evening’s Big Show was blessed by balmy, if humid, weather. The totally talented Runaway June performed “The Star Spangled Banner” to kick things off, right on time.

The first part of the stadium concert was dedicated to the three acts of the CMT Kickstart Artist Spotlight effort. Hit songwriter Jameson Rodgers, plus Denning and the vivacious Kassi Ashton all introduced new sounds to the attendees. Based on her stage presence, Kassi did best.

TV stars Hayley Orrantia (The Goldbergs) and Chris Carmack (Nashville) co-hosted the evening, with Carmack introducing Billy Ray Cyrus as “still the King of the Dancefloor, with the No. 1 song in the nation, right now!”

Billy Ray rocked out to “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and drew cheers when he dedicated “Some Gave All” to “all the men and women in uniform.”

His guest Johnny McGuire (formerly of Walker McGuire) offered the hearty “Chevys and Fords” before the enduring star concluded his set with “Achy Breaky Heart.”

Brett Young’s sincerity shined on all five of his consecutive No. 1 hits, with “Have Mercy” drawing particularly big cheers.

I was in the Men’s Room in the CMA Hospitality Suite when I heard instantly recognizable beats and a deafening cheer. I rushed out to see rapper Lil Nas X, resplendent in a vivid orange vinyl suit.

He was joined by Billy Ray and surprise guest Keith Urban on the monster hit “Old Town Road.” He and Billy Ray have been omnipresent on pop radio for weeks with what is shaping up to be one of year’s biggest songs.

They appeared with no fanfare and no introduction. They didn’t need either one. All 70,000 attendees recognized the intro riff instantly, just as I had.

Everyone sang along. Admittedly, that wasn’t much of a challenge, since “Old Town Road” basically has only two lines.

Even the jaded industry folks in the CMA suite stopped their schmoozing and rushed to the windows to witness the Event. The fabulons on hand included Ed Benson, R.J. Curtis, Audrey Wiggins, Edie Emery, Brett Wootcott & Lydia Lenker, Cheri Cranford & Dallas Gregory, Michael Kay, Bill Denny, Scott Stovall, Sherod Robertson and Phil May.

Dayton Duncan was there, too. He’s the writer/producer of the upcoming Ken Burns multi-part PBS documentary Country Music. Dayton has been touring the country promoting the doc. He said he tailors each presentation to whatever market he’s in.

For instance, at Belmont University, he emphasized segments featuring Minnie Pearl (a Ward-Belmont grad), Ricky Skaggs (the parent of two alums) and Trisha Yearwood (a Belmont grad). In Memphis, he screened segments featuring Sun Records acts. In California, he featured Buck, Merle and Dwight. In East Tennessee, Dolly and Acuff.

He was in town to offer the Fan Fair X attendees a preview on Sunday, alongside Marty Stuart, Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) and Kathy Mattea.

Dayton appreciated the Nissan performance by Miranda and sympathized with the plight of women in today’s country music, noting that female artists provide a firm foundation throughout the Burns doc.

Miranda began her set alongside Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe as The Pistol Annies. They gave sauce and spice to “Hell on Heels” and “Sugar Daddy” before Miranda took over for a rocking solo set that included “Automatic,” “Gunpowder and Lead,” “White Liar” and “Mama’s Broken Heart.” She also introduced the fans to a new song, “Locomotive.”

Audio pandemonium broke out in the stadium as Luke Combs took the stage. This ultimate People’s Star gave the fans “She Got the Best of Me,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “Beautiful Crazy” and much more. A great guy with great songs — That’s all it takes.

Speaking of which, Cody Johnson was across the river singing to an SRO crowd at Ascend Amphitheater as the capstone of a Warner Music show at exactly this same time. That bill also included Ingrid Andress, Tucker Beathard, Ashley McBryde and Hunter Hayes.

Meanwhile, back at Nissan, Dierks Bentley peppered the fans with his expertly curated hits. His surprise guest was Tenille Townes, who saluted the women of country with covers of Trisha’s “She’s In Love With the Boy” and Deana’s “Strawberry Wine.”

Saturday’s finale artist was Tim McGraw. Another fine fellow with flawless taste in tunes, he ran through such fan favorites as “Southern Voice” and “All I Want Is a Life.” He paused in his set to introduce Country Music Hall of Fame member Randy Travis, who was seated on the front row. The crowd roared its love.

Tim also brought Luke Combs back to the stage. They shared vocals on Tim’s big hit “Real Good Man.”

We drove home, tumbled into bed and rested for one more day of merriment.

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 622

The weather played cat-and-mouse with Day Two of this year’s CMA Music Fest.

The opening of the outdoor stages on Friday (June 7) was delayed because of rain and nearby lightning. But things got underway at last around 11 a.m. The Chevy Riverfront Stage was at capacity by mid afternoon. The venue remained packed throughout the three successive performances by Jordan Davis, Morgan Wallen and Hunter Hayes.

At Fan Fair X in the Music City Center, Old Dominion also appeared before a capacity crowd. They were the CMA Close-Up Stage headliners of the day. In the HGTV Lodge, fans were shoulder-to-shoulder for “A Very Brady Chat.” This starred TV celebs Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Barry Williams (Greg) and Susan Olsen (Cindy). Nostalgia abounded.

At the Nashville Acoustic Corner Stage, Blanco Brown staged one of his several CMA Fest appearances. He’s a social-media phenom with his “The Git Up” song and line dance. It’s another one of those country-rap fusions. He calls it “trailer trap.”

LOCASH had everyone singing along at the Radio Disney Country Stage. It always impresses me how well the fans seem to know every lyric to every country song.

Everything was going so well. Then storms returned about 4:30 p.m., forcing the cancellation of the late afternoon outdoor shows. Performances by Scotty McCreery and Gavin DeGraw were among those affected.

But Mother Nature smiled on the fest that night. By the time we headed for Nissan Stadium, skies were clear and dry. And they stayed that way throughout outstanding sets by the festival’s strongest evening lineup.

Lindsay Ell performed an impressive National Anthem to inaugurate the eve. Jo Dee Messina turned in a hit-packed set consisting of “Heads Carolina,” “I’m Alright,” “Lesson in Leavin’” and “Bye Bye.”

“I have a really great job,” she said. “I love what I do. I love all of you.” This led to a Christian-testimonial interlude and a gospel number called “Reckless Love.”

Little Big Town followed. The foursome was awesome. “Pontoon,” “Better Man” and “Boondocks” preceded a march through the crowd to the pocket stage in mid field. The entire stadium fell silent, and phones lit up everywhere to create a breathtaking light display as the group performed its profound, potent ballad “The Daughters.”

Even the schmoozing in the CMA Hospitality Suite stopped temporarily. Beverly Keel, Mayor David Briley, Biff Watson, Pat Collins, Karen Clark, Laura Crawford, Liz Rose, Mike Craft, B.J. Hill and Nathan Pyle were up there working the room. It was quite a crowd.

The Recording Academy’s Shelly Maree was experiencing her first CMA Fest. The L.A. resident was marveling at how well it is run. Staging something like this in her town would be nearly impossible, she averred.

“We do this all the time,” I said. “NFL Draft? No problem.”

Shelly was already a country fan, and her favorite new discovery that afternoon had been the one-man-band performance of Morgan Evans.

Meanwhile at Nissan, LBT concluded its set with the huge hit “Girl Crush.” The group was succeeded on the pocket stage by Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell, doing their duet “What Happens in a Small Town.”

The capacity audience of roughly 70,000 erupted when Dan + Shay appeared. They have said that headlining in this venue last year was the first moment they felt that they’d made it. Staging their second straight appearance on the festival’s stadium stage, the duo was beaming with pleasure.

“Thank you, country-music fans for changing our lives,” said Dan Smyers. “Sing along if you know the words,” he added. They did. And how.

Dan provided spot-on harmony, guitar chops and band leadership while the spectacular voice of Shay Mooney filled the massive venue. Their set was flawless, including the wildly catchy “All to Myself,” the wedding favorite “Speechless,” the lovely waltz “From the Ground Up” and the wildly popular finale “Tequila.” Suffice it to say, the boys did good.

Thomas Rhett was another big fan fave. The crowd truly came alive when he launched into “Life Changes.” He brought out surprise guest Jon Pardi to perform their new duet “Beer Can’t Fix.” Again, the stadium attendees went bonkers.

During the fest, Thomas was celebrating the release of his new CD, Center Point Road, so he featured its “Look What God Gave Her.” His set also included the unforgettable “Die a Happy Man.”

Hundreds who couldn’t get into the sold-out show gathered to listen outside the stadium gates and on the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge.

Just two weeks after selling out the stadium on his own, Eric Church returned to the scene of his triumphant, three-and-a-half-hour concert. As always, his onstage intensity drove the fans wild.

This is all the more remarkable, since he did it with a solo acoustic set. He’d given his band the night off at the last minute on Friday afternoon. Working with just his guitar, he offered a stunning, 30-minute medley of bona fide smashes.

He ranged throughout his repertoire, from the early hit “Sinners Like Me” to the current “Some Of It.” By the time he got to “Springsteen,” he had every person in the stadium in the palm of his hand.

The Queen of the Night was Carrie Underwood. The concert’s finale performer not only sang her own smashes, but brought out another fabulous surprise guest. She and rock titan Joan Jett teamed up for a run-through of Jett’s immortal “Bad Reputation,” “Crimson and Clover, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” In 2013-14, Carrie sang a rewritten version of the last named as the NFL Sunday Night Football theme “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.” So she and Jett have a connection beyond the fact that Carrie is a huge fan.

The country superstar returned to her own catalog for “Blown Away,” “Love Wins” and the concert-closing “Before He Cheats.”

When we’d driven to the site earlier in the evening, we were behind a car with West Virginia license plates reading LOVEWINS, so I know at least one group of fans was delirious with delight about Carrie’s performance. But then, so were the rest of us.

Chris Young joined the “Billion-Airs” club as the RCA Records Nashville artist and multi-Platinum entertainer was surprised onstage during his Artist of the Day appearance at CMA Fest with plaques commemorating his more than two billion career streams and 12 million singles sold.

“This is thanks to every single person here who has bought a CD, streamed a single or come to my concerts—I can’t thank you enough for all the support you’ve shown me and can’t wait to share more music with you soon!”

Young also teased two new songs in the last 72 hours. On Thursday, the Grand Ole Opry member stood in the hallowed circle to perform “Drowning,” an intensely personal song written with Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge. On Sunday (June 9) Young welcomed Lauren Alaina at Spotify House at Ole Red for the first-ever performance of their duet, “Town Ain’t Big Enough.” Both songs will drop to digital and streaming services in the coming weeks and will be found on his upcoming album, Raised On Country, releasing later this year.

Luck Productions, a rogue cultural collective headquartered in Luck, Texas, has partnered with Southwest Airlines to produce Sites & Sounds, a three-part, multimedia travel guide from the artist’s perspective. The series will feature three cities, six musicians, and a trove of exploratory content.

Episode one of Sites & Sounds features one of Nashville’s most cherished songwriters and country rockers, Nikki Lane. In the episode, fans will see Lane’s journey through Maui, as she shadows Lukas Nelson and discovers how the island has shaped him. Watch the full episode one here.

 

Anchored by its flagship event, the annual Luck Reunion at Willie Nelson’s ranch, Luck Productions creates experiences that embrace our past while cultivating new traditions in American roots culture. In addition to the Reunion, Luck Productions has hosted pop-up events including “Luck Mansion” residencies during Nashville’s AmericanaFest, a featured stage activation during Highwater Festival, the “Luck Hotel” content and concert series in Dallas, and the “Luck Social” supper and song series held in Luck, Texas.

Visit luckjournal.com/sitesandsounds to learn more about the series and see what episodes are coming up.