Country fans dance away at CMA Fest
Night 3 of CMA Music Festival’s concerts at Nissan Stadium was defined by collaborations and emotional moments. Here are the highlights:
1 COLE SWINDELL
Swindell’s No. 1 hit You Should
Be Here prompted thousands of country music fans to light up Nissan Stadium with their cellphones Saturday night, a moment Swindell later called the best of his life. Swindell wrote You Should Be
Here after the unexpected loss of his father.
“Wow, wow, wow,” Swindell said at the end of the performance. “I’ll never forget (playing CMA Music Festival) last year. It was my favorite memory until that just happened.”
2CHRIS
YOUNG
Young celebrated the “10th anniversary of his 21st birthday” Saturday night with about 60,000 fans.
“I’ve found you can say it that way or you can say you’re turning 31-derful,” Young joked from the stage. His birthday was Sunday. “That’s the only way it plays well.”
Fans jumped to their feet as soon as announcer Chuck Wicks said Young ’s name and stayed there for Young ’s 30-minute hitpacked set.
3BLAKE
SHELTON WITH THE OAK RIDGE BOYS
Shelton has barely left the house this week without the Country Music Hall of Famers. The Oak Ridge Boys were at Shelton’s exhibit opening at the Country Music Hall of Fame Monday, on stage with him at the CMT Music Awards Wednesday, and they joined the singer on Doing It to
Country Songs Saturday, a song they’re featured on from Shelton’s new album, If I’m Honest.
“Only in Nashville, Tenn., do you get something like that, man,” Shelton told fans of his duet with The Oaks. “That cost me a lot of money. You’re welcome. They’re very expensive. I have to take a moment now and soak that in. That just happened. Moment of silence, everybody please, for the Oak Ridge Boys.”
4FLORIDA
GEORGIA LINE
Make no mistake about it: Country music fans love Florida Georgia Line. From the first note of This is
How We Roll until the duo finished with Cruise, the stadium full of people was on their feet dancing. Really dancing.
“I know it’s been a long, hot week, y’all still with us?” asked Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard. “How you feeling? All right Nashville, I still think we can take it to the next level.”
Just as many fans chimed in to sing Anything Goes and Round Here.
“I don’t remember the last time we stood in front of (60,000) people that wanted to sing Round
Here,” Hubbard said. “It’s so special for all of us, all of you guys. Let’s join forces, Nashville, and see how loud we can get on a Saturday night. We’re lucky this stadium doesn’t have a roof on it.”
5STEVEN
TYLER WITH MARTINA MCBRIDE
Remember that time Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler brought Martina McBride on stage at Nissan Stadium to sing Cryin’? It was epic in that rock-icon-meets-countryqueen kind of way. And, they had similar hair.
Tyler kicked off his set with Aerosmith song Sweet Emotion, his signature scarves tied to his microphone stand.
The rocker will release his debut country album in July.