The Country Note’s Top 20 Moments of CMA Fest 2018

July 22, 2018 The Country Note Event Coverage 0

Contributions by Lindsey Sipe and Janeen Megloranzo

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There was SO much going on in Nashville during CMA Fest this year that to write about everything would take several volumes. So instead we put our heads together and came up with the following top 20 moments of the week. In no particular order, they are as follows:

1. Ramsey at the Ryman: 11-year old Mason Ramsey received a Standing O when he played the Ryman for the first time! The Big Loud Artist and Hank Williams fanatic wowed the crowd during Craig Wisemen’s Stars for Second Harvest benefit show to help provide meals for struggling families through the Second Harvest Bank. That sure beats yodeling in the middle of Walmart for sure! Look for big things to come for this little guy!

2. We Were Born to Live a Long and Happy Life: Love is certainly in the air in Nashville, especially during Pride Month. Big Machine group Delta Rae stopped their singing but kept the music playing so they could draw attention to the middle of the crowd at the Chevy Breakout Stage during CMA Fest. A special fan had a very important question to ask her beloved! That’s right. She got down on one knee to pop the question to her unsuspecting girlfriend, who of course said yes! Congrats to the newly engaged couple and many blessings for a long and happy life!

3. Carly Crying: Carly Pearce is one of the most humble artists to grace our charts and our stages as of late, especially when you know her backstory of leaving high school to work at Dollywood in pursuit of this endless dream. And that’s why it was so amazing to see her reaction when she received her first ever award—the CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year! “Ya’ll. I sat up in the stands with my mom for so many years wondering if I would ever get here,” she told the crowd while pouring tears of joy and gratitude! Yes, Carly, you are indeed here and all of music is better for it!

4. Cornhole is Not the Only Game Played: The selfie game between artists and their fans was strong at City Winery during Craig Campbell’s 6th Annual Cornhole Toss to Fight Colorectal Cancer. But who did it better? JROD? Russell D? Brett Young? Craig? Congrats to CC for taking back his Cornhole Championship and raising so much money to Fight Colorectal Cancer!

5. Backstreet’s Back! Alright!: The 90s boy band craze is back again and this time, they’re going country! Backstreet Boys played their new song at the CMT Awards Wednesday, June 7 and the crowd went wild! I mean, why wouldn’t they? It’s freakin’ BSB. . . .choreographed dance moves and everything!

6. Morgan Evans, Party of One: For a guy that usually has a backing band and sometimes a superstar wife join him on stage (Kelsea Ballerini), Morgan Evans proved during CMA Fest that flying solo is nothing to be scared of. Evan’s voice, guitar playing, and looping skills showed us why he is quickly becoming a fan favorite with his hit, “Kiss Somebody.” The Australian entertained the crowd of thousands at Friday night’s Warner takeover at the Ascend Amphitheatre, mixing so many beats with his looping kit and voice that if you closed your eyes, you would not even know the band was not present. It was THAT good. So do yourself a favor and go see him live, band or no band!

7. TT’s Still Got It!: Tanya Tucker proves that time only makes you better! The legendary performer rocked the catwalk during her performance at buddy Ty Herndon’s Concert for Love and Acceptance at the Wildhorse Saloon. Wearing knee high black boots and tight white pants, she showed off her famous raspy vocals during “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane”, “If Your Heart Ain’t Busy Tonight”, and “Delta Dawn” to show her support of the work GLAAD is doing in Nashville and around the country!

8. 2 Billion Spins for Lee Brice: The free nightly Ascend Amphitheatre shows have taken CMA Fest to a whole new level and Lee Brice is no exception. With his powerhouse vocals and endearing songs like “Boy” and “Drinking Class”, Brice knows how to put on a memorable show. But it was Brice who experienced an unforgettable moment when he was presented the 2 Billion Airplay Award from Pandora Music , putting him in the same category as Johnny Cash, Keith Urban, and Fleetwood Mac. A shocked and grateful Brice screamed, “Holy crap! How does this even happen?!” before telling the fans that they are the reason this happened! Congrats Lee!

9. Randy Travis: A Legend and a Miracle: Saturday night at the Ascend Ampitheatre was just as explosive as the other two, especially when host Storme Warren took a break in between acts to make a special presentation. Randy Travis was escorted on stage by his wife Mary (no wheelchair, no cane), in order to receive the inaugural Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award, for his work with music education programs. Cracker Barrel also made a $5,000 donation in Travis’ name to the CMA Foundation! We can’t think of a more deserving artist than Randy Travis.

10. Tribute Show with Tracy: The Forever Country stage presented by Budweiser returned for the second year in a row and this year, it paid tribute to not only the artists of the 80s and 90s, but the artists we lost recently. Tracy Lawrence hosted a special show with friends Halfway to Hazard, Jamie O’ Neal, Ty Herndon, Jon Bowlin, and Craig Campbell to honor the souls gone way too soon. Among those artists: Troy Gentry, Glen Campbell, Daryle Singletary and Lari White.

11. Bobby Bones and His Favorite “Note”: We caught up with radio show host and author Bobby Bones backstage at the Ryman before CMA even started. Bones was there to perform and support buddy Darius Rucker and St Jude’s at the ninth annual Darius and Friends on Monday, June 4. When our correspondent Amanda thanked him for talking to us, he said “of all the notes, my favorite’s the Country Note” before bursting out into “I Will Always Love You!” Well said, Bobby. Well said. Ours too. 😉

12. The CMA Close Up Stage: Inside the Music City Center awaited merch booths, retail vendors, meet and greets, intimate stages, and a break from the hot sun. One of those sought after stages was none other than the CMA Close Up Stage, featuring a number of huge acts, like Ricky Skaggs, Tracy Lawrence, and Garth Brooks. But it wasn’t about performances for those names. They sat in comfy chairs and had meaningful conversations about their careers and the music biz in general with Storme Warren. A match game was even played with Nashville Insider Host Adam Wurtzel that included Tim Rushlow, Jeannie Sealy, and Charlene Tilton. Despite the massive crowds that gathered, fans were treated to intimate one-on-one conversations with featured Artists of the Day Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch and Kelsea Ballerini. Definitely something that the fans don’t get to experience everyday, making it one of our favorite stages for sure.

13. Pop Up Shows: Pop up shows have recently become a “Nashville” thing, much like hot chicken and Bushwackers. You just never know who’s going to show up where and if any week is the perfect week, it’s CMA week. Especially now that artists all seem to be getting their own bars on Broadway. So it’s no surprise they made good use of the space with a few of their buddies. Big and Rich played John Rich’s new bar, Redneck Riveria. Blake Shelton invited Cole Swindell, Hunter Hayes, John Pardi, and even the Today Show to hang out at Ole Red. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. So anytime you come to CMA Fest, from now on be sure to peep your head into the bars to see if any of your favorite artists have “popped up” for some drinks and a show. Maybe they’ll even buy you a round!

14. Love and Acceptance with Vince Gill: After last year’s unforgettable night, we knew Ty Herndon’s Concert for Love and Acceptance was going to blow minds this year. With an impressive lineup starring Tanya Tucker, Cassadee Pope, Terri Clark, Thompson Square, and Michael Ray, it was no surprise that the show sold out. And if any city supports the notion that #LoveWins, it’s Nashville. What we did not expect however was the unannounced guest at the end. Vince Gill sat on a stool with his guitar and serenated the overjoyed crowd with “Whenever You Come Around” And “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” There’s just one word for that: Chills.

15. Purple Rain, Purple Rain: Darius Rucker’s “Darius and Friends” to raise money for St Jude’s is typically considered to be the unofficial kickoff of CMA week. Nine years running, Rucker always invites a vast array of friends to play the Ryman-friends like Lauren Alaina, Trace Adkins, and Brad Paisley. And Rucker, after opening the show with his own hits, will sometimes join them for some fun cover tunes throughout the show. This year brought down the house. Rucker nailed the vocals on “Purple Rain” so much so Prince would even blush if he were still alive. And to top it all off, Brad Paisley slayed that nostalgic rift on the electric guitar. What a perfect storm.

16. Let The Girls Play: And play they did.  Song Suffragettes presented two killer songwriter rounds at the CMA Close Up Stage featuring some of the most powerful and talented women in the business including Cassadee Pope, Kalie Shorr, Lena Stone, Tenille Arts, Candi Carpenter, Kasey Tyndall, Jenna McDaniel, Chloe Gilligan, Emily Reid and recent American Idol winner Maddie Poppe.

17. Luke Bryan Surprises Fans at Riverfront – On Sunday, two fans got the surprise of their lives while participating in 10 Second trivia at the Chevy Riverfront Stage. Sneaking up behind them was none other than Luke Bryan who gave those lucky fans a memory they will never forget – a hug! – and tickets to the Chevy suite at Nissan Stadium that night.

18. The Moves and Swagger of Scotty McCreery: McCreerians were abound at the Chevy Riverfront on the last day of CMA Fest as Scotty McCreery took to the stage, singing and showing off some impressive dance moves. Included in the set was an emotional performance of McCreery’s first ever #1 “Five More Minutes” and his current single “This Is It,” only six days before walking down the aisle with his beloved Gabi.

19. Bluebird Cafe’s CMA Fest Debut: The iconic Bluebird Cafe brought its intimate songwriters round to the CMA Close Up Stage this year with brilliant songwriters Jake Etheridge, Tenille Townes and Adam Hambrick.

20. 2 Legends, 1 Stage: The opportunity to see two Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry members share a stage was a highlight of the week.  Bobby Bare and Bill Anderson brought their “American Legends” tour to the CMA Close Up Stage as they swapped stories and songs from their legendary careers.

Did we miss any? What were some of your favorite moments at CMA Fest?

Remember to relive the amazing music of CMA Fest when Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini return to host “The Music Event of Summer” on Wednesday, August 8 at 8/7c on ABC!.

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