Country Note’s Recap of the Twenty-Five Most Memorable Moments from CMA Fest 2016

June 21, 2016 Janeen Megloranzo Event Coverage 2

Chris Janson performs on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage on June 9, 2016. Photo Credit: Janeen Megloranzo

With each passing year, CMA Fest gets bigger and better and 2016 was no exception! A daily attendance of 88,500 country music fans congregated upon Lower Broadway in Nashville to enjoy five days (including the All-Day Kick-Off at Ascend Amphitheater on Wednesday) filled with live music from over 600 artists as well as several celebrity appearances.

With so much going on, and a lot of performances overlapping others, it’s sometimes hard to absorb everything that you saw in the moment, but when you get a chance to review what you witnessed, you relive all of the surprises and highlights. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here is our recap of the top 25 moments that occurred during this year’s CMA Fest:

1. Chris Young and Cassadee Pope: From the moment Chris Young hit the stage at Nissan Stadium, the entire crowd was up on their feet, but when the Murfreesboro native, who was on the eve of celebrating the 10th anniversary of his 21st birthday, sang the first verse of his most recent #1 single “Think of You,” the entire stadium went insane as his duet partner Cassadee Pope joined in on her second verse.

2. Kelsea Ballerini has a lot to celebrate: Performing for first time on the big stage at CMA Fest is always a huge deal, but for Kelsea Ballerini, it was even bigger than she’d imagine. The “Peter Pan” singer got word that her first single “Love Me Like You Mean It,” which also went #1, had just gone Platinum!

3. Blake Shelton and The Oak Ridge Boys: If you tuned in to the CMT Awards (which was just yet another thing going on during this music-packed week!) on June 8, you got to see Blake Shelton sing his tongue-in-cheek “Doing It To Country Songs” with the legendary Oak Ridge Boys with a little “Elvira” thrown in, and if you were at Nissan Stadium on Friday night, you got to see this amazing collaboration live!


4. Luke Bryan attempts to battle with Keith Urban: After proclaiming that he was the best guitarist, Luke Bryan asked who else could be better than him? Cue Keith Urban’s guitar slaying entrance. The two battled it out, with Urban obviously setting the stage on fire. Urban remained on stage with Bryan as they performed a “Fishin’ In the Dark”/”Shine”/”Hillbilly Deluxe” cover medley.

5. Florida Georgia Line’s sensitive side: FGL came out strong with their high-energy hit “This Is How We Roll” and ended with their Certified Diamond single “Cruise” but the gem of their set was when they toned it down and delivered a passionate, emotional performance of “Dirt” and their recent single “H.O.L.Y,” which they dedicated to their loving wives.


6. Steven Tyler shocks crowd with Martina McBride duet: Promoting his solo project We’re All Somebody From Somewhere Steven Tyler performed a mix of his recent material as well as Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” and a cover of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” before surprising the crowd with Martina McBride for an electrifying duet on “Cryin’.”

7. Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge take Nissan Stadium on “Vacation”: First-time co-hosts for ABC’s “Country’s Night to Rock” telecast, Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge performed not once but twice together on stage. First on Rhett’s newest single “Vacation” and later during Eldredge’s set for “Can’t Stop Me,” which Rhett is featured on the Illinois studio track.

8. Old Dominion goes Platinum: Old Dominion performed a few times during CMA Fest, but it was their first performance at the Ascend Amphitheatre on Wednesday to help kick-off the week that was a memory they will never forget. Joined by members of their record label on stage mid-set, the boys were presented with plaques marking “Break Up with Him” going Platinum.


9. Chris Janson = Just Amazing: At previous CMA Fests, Chris Janson has played at the Hard Rock Café Stage and the former Bud Light Stage but after the HUGE success of “Buy Me A Boat” he graduated to the Riverfront stage this year, and what a moment that was! Rocking that harmonica in a way only he can in front of a packed crowd, Janson had everyone up on their feet in the Tennessee heat. 

But it didn’t end there! He also played his chart-topping single on Friday night at Nissan Stadium; a surprise appearance that had the crowd singing along to every word!

10. Cam with Lady Antebellum: The surprises just kept coming at Nissan Stadium as Cam appeared to the roar of the crowd and performed her hit “Burning House,” and as if that wasn’t big enough, she was joined by Lady Antebellum. And if THAT still wasn’t big enough, the four then sang Lady A’s “Need You Now” with harmonies that were beyond this planet! (Note: Cam was to do a Q&A at the Radio Disney stage on Sunday but had lost her voice. Being as dedicated to her fans as she is, she walked on stage and attempted to sing “Burning House,” but there was no need as the crowd carried her through the entire song.)


11. LOCASH goes Gold: It’s been a big year for LOCASH, but their performance at the Riverfront Stage on Sunday might be one of their most memorable moments of their career as they were presented with Gold Record Plaques for “I Love This Life.”

12. #Nashies get their day: News broke on Thursday night that CMT would become the new home for “NASHVILLE” after Lionsgate and flocks of devoted fans worked hard to save the hit drama after being canceled by ABC. And it just so happened that on Friday morning, Chip Esten was scheduled as the CMA Artist of the day, allowing #Nashies to hear from the mouth of Deacon Claybourne himself about the return of the show. 

The celebrations continued as Chris Carmack (Will Lexington) performed on the Park Stage and announced the happy news during his phenomenal set. And for those who went to check out Esten’s second set of the day at Riverfront were treated to a double surprise as both Carmack and Clare Bowen (Scarlett O’Connor) came out to sing and celebrate the show. (Note: Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley) and his band Enation also performed at the Ascend Amphitheater on Thursday, prior to the CMT announcement).

13. Clare Dunn Rocks: There is nothing like a woman who can shred a guitar, and Clare Dunn is one of those women! And not only can she shred, but she can do a legendary band like Led Zeppelin justice as she performed an amazing cover of Zep’s “Rock and Roll” earning her a standing ovation!

14. Forget her vocals for just one second, Carrie Underwood can slay a harmonica: Well, you can’t literally forget her vocals, as she IS Carrie Underwood and sings with such perfection every single time, but her skills on the harmonica during “Choctaw County Affair” were something that everyone walked out of Nissan Stadium impressed about. Hoping that someday she and Chris Janson can duel!

15. #McCreerians show their unwavering loyalty: Basking in sun so strong that it caused phones to shut off to prevent overheating didn’t stop Scotty McCreery’s fans as they patiently waited for their American Idol to hit the Riverfront stage at 3:45pm and he did not disappoint. Despite the heat, McCreery covered every inch of the stage with an energetic set that featured the song that started it all “I Love You This Big.”

16. It’s “Different For Girls”: After performing his new single live with Elle King on the CMT Awards, Dierks Bentley brought the bluesy songbird and her banjo out on stage at Nissan Stadium for an amazing version of the song, drawing loud cheers and applause from the crowd.


17. Maren Morris took us to Church – Twice: It’s always somewhat mind-blowing when you hear a huge voice and then see in person that it comes from such a petite source, and that’s just what happened when Maren Morris took the Riverfront stage. Her voice carried over the crowd and up the river as she sang songs from her now #1 album Hero and saved her chart-topper “My Church” as the last song of her only set, that is until Rascal Flatts invited her up on stage at Nissan Stadium to perform that very song to a congregation that sang just as passionately right back to her!

18. Sam Hunt brought the party: Haters are going to hate, but no one could deny the amount of energy Sam Hunt brought into Nissan Stadium with his energetic hits like “House Party” and “Leave the Night On.” Even when he slowed it down for “Take Your Time” and “Make You Miss Me” he held the attention of the entire venue.


19. Ladies & Gentlemen, this year’s ACM/CMA/ACCA/CMT/Grammy/Billboard Award winning Chris Stapleton: What is there to say about Chris Stapleton that hasn’t already been said or proclaimed by the plethora of awards he’s received over the past year for his phenomenal solo album Traveller? As the sun disappeared behind the stage, Stapleton worked his magic on the guitar while he, accompanied by his lovely wife Morgane, performed a soulful set that included “Nobody to Blame” and George Jones’ “Tennessee Whiskey” to a crowd singing along so loudly Stapleton’s vocals were practically drowned out.

20. Two-thirds of the Pistol Annies represented: Miranda Lambert killed her set on Friday night the way only Miranda can – with “Gunpowder and Lead!” She covered a fairly wide range of her catalog with “Automatic,” “White Liar,” “Fastest Girl In Town,” “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “Baggage Claim.”

Earlier in the day, best friend Ashley Monroe brought her beautiful classic voice to the Ascend Amphitheater, singing “If The Devil Don’t Want Me” off her amazing album The Blade as well as other Monroe classics.

21. Barefoot Jake Owen: Jake Owen arrived via boat wearing a white t-shirt, a pair of American flag swim trunks, and barefoot (naturally) to what was one of, if not THE, largest crowds that graced the Riverfront throughout CMA Fest. Playing for a full hour, Owen performed his most recent single “American Country Love Song,” as well as a few other fan favorites before closing out his set with the apropos “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.” He also at one point called attention to a fan’s sign that read “Our bucket list selfie With Jake,” to which he asked the crowd to make way for them to come down to the stage for a photo.

22. Eric Church does CMA Fest his way: More often than not, artists who perform at the stadium nights for CMA Fest fill their set with hits to get everyone singing along, but not Eric Church. He included his recent single “Record Year” and title track “Mr. Misunderstood” but instead of going back to “Give Me Back My Hometown” or “Springsteen,” Church instead treated his moment to show off other songs from his latest album: “Chattanooga Lucy,” “Knives of New Orleans” & “Mixed Drinks About Feelings.”

23. We’re All Family: Friday night had a bit of an Outlaw theme as Hank Williams Jr. was slotted to perform, but he had a few guests to join him along the way. Following the surprise by Janson and Justin Moore (with “You Look Like I Need A Drink”), the two joined Williams on stage for “Born to Boogie” while Eric Church returned for “Are You Ready For The Country,” before leading the stadium into a singalong of “Family Tradition.”

24. Team Blake’s Mary Sarah: Texan, local Boot Barn employee and recent alum of The Voice, Mary Sarah had several appearances throughout CMA Fest, and it was a treat if you were able to catch her at any of them. Her tradition of starting off her set with “God Bless America” had extra meaning when she performed at the Visitor’s Center on Sunday morning, only hours after everyone heard of the horrific attack in Orlando.

25. The Rise of Steve Moakler: Being a co-write on a song such as Dierks Bentley’s “Riser” will definitely get you noticed, following that with a solid self-titled EP has helped Steve Moakler gain a presence in the world of country music. Another who played several times throughout the festival, Moakler’s set at Ascend brought his EP to life, including “Suitcase,” and his current single “Love Drunk.” He also passionately sang “Riser.”

 
If you regret missing out on CMA Fest this year or just want to relive the amazing music, ABC has just what you need!  CMA Festival: Country’s Night to Rock,  recapping the biggest moments from CMA Fest, will air on Wednesday, August 3, with Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett taking the reins as hosts for the first time.

-Edited June 27, 2016

2 Comments on Country Note’s Recap of the Twenty-Five Most Memorable Moments from CMA Fest 2016

  1. OMG SO awsome you meantion my sister and our bucket list sign.. DEF a highlight of our Trip!

  2. So sorry Forgot to add to the other… I was not just My sign… it was My sisters and My sign. It read “our bucket list selfie w/jake” 🙂

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