CMA Fest is drawing to a close for another year, but not before going out with a bang in the final Nissan Stadium show of the 2024 event.
Every June, CMA Fest takes over Nashville, drawing tens of thousands of country music fans from around the globe. Now in its 51st year, the four-day extravaganza showcases 300 acts over multiple stages – from the genre’s biggest stars to up-and-coming artists – spread across the bustling streets of downtown Nashville to historic Ryman Auditorium and the state-of-the-art Nissan Stadium. Fans can also get unparalleled access to their favourite artists through meet-and-greets, autograph signings, and intimate acoustic sets. Beyond the music, the event also supports a good cause, with proceeds benefiting the CMA Foundation’s commitment to music education.
We've had three great nights of music so far, so there was a lot for the last show to live up to – and it certainly did that! Read on to find out what we thought of night four…
Josh Turner
Opening the show in the ‘legends slot' was Josh Turner. A favourite of country fans in the UK and US alike, he showed off his distinctive deep vocals on classics like ‘Firecracker' and ‘Your Man', as well as new single ‘Heating Things Up' from his upcoming record. He finished with a dramatic rendition of his signature song ‘Long Black Train', including special effects on the intro and one huge note at the end, and it was a fantastic way to kick off the evening.
Megan Moroney
Making her CMA Fest main stage debut, Megan Moroney brought her own personal brand of 'emo cowgirl' country to Nissan Stadium. Mixing songs from her debut album ‘Lucky' as well as next month's ‘Am I OK?', she showed her sassy side on songs like ‘Indifferent', ‘I'm Not Pretty' and new release ‘Man On The Moon'. That said, there was plenty of space for slower songs too, including ‘No Caller ID' (featuring her brother Brian on guitar) and her signature song ‘Tennessee Orange'. I loved how playful her stage presence was too, and can't wait to see more of that when she heads to the UK in September.
Brothers Osborne
We're big fans of John and TJ here at EF Country – they always know how to put on a show and certainly did that last night! Kicking off with ‘Break Mine', the title track from their recent EP, they rattled us through a series of their hits, including ‘I'm Not For Everyone' and ‘Stay A Little Longer', as well as a defiant version of Tom Petty's ‘Won't Back Down'. They wrapped things up with an electric mash-up of the driving ‘It Ain't My Fault' and ‘Tulsa Time' by Don Williams that showed off John's killer guitar playing to perfection (alongside TJ's always excellent vocals) and had the audience jumping up and down with their fists in the air. Bring on that UK tour next year already!
Carly Pearce
Fresh off the release of her outstanding fourth album ‘hummingbird', Carly Pearce took to the stage for one of the most powerful sets of the night. Focusing mainly on songs from the new album, she showed off her fierce side on the likes of ‘Rock Paper Scissors' and ‘Truck On Fire', as well as the plaintive ballad ‘We Don't Fight Anymore'. That said, there was still plenty for fans of her other albums to like, from the twangy ‘Next Girl' to uplifting closer ‘I Hope You're Happy Now', but the standout for me was – as always – ‘What He Didn't Do'. It never fails to make me cry and this time she coupled it with a powerful speech urging anyone in a bad relationship to ‘get out tonight'. Throw in gorgeous, delicate yet soaring vocals, and it all added up to one of the best sets of the night.
Bailey Zimmerman
Another artist making their CMA Fest main stage debut (after wowing the UK audience with his recent sold-out tour), Bailey Zimmerman burst out of the blocks with all the energy and enthusiasm of a golden retriever on a double shot of espresso. Playing tracks from his album ‘Religiously' including ‘Fixing To Break', ‘Holy Smokes' and a rocking performance of ‘Where It Ends', he could be seen leaping and spinning about the stage, throwing high kicks and shaking his hair (and his hips – seriously, Luke Bryan has a lot to answer for). He even signed one of his shoes and threw it into the audience at the end of ‘Rock And A Hard Place'! It was an utter joy to watch from start to finish and you could tell how much he was enjoying being up on the big stage, as well as being truly grateful for the opportunity.
HARDY
Closing the show – and the whole weekend – was HARDY, with a 00s rock-heavy set that had me more than a little nostalgic for the bands of my teenage set. He had the whole crowd screaming along from the first line of ‘ROCKSTAR' and packed his half-hour slot with tracks from his album ‘The Mockingbird & THE CROW' (referenced on his jersey), such as the slinky ‘JACK', as well as songs from his upcoming record ‘QUIT!!'. Running the gamut from the raw edge of ‘PSYCHO' to heartfelt acoustic ballad ‘Six Feet Under', he showed the new direction he's taking his music in and I personally can't wait. He also had by far the most star-studded lineup of the night, including duetting with Big & Rich on ‘Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)' – which had the whole stadium bouncing – as well as bringing out Lauren Alaina for ‘One Beer' and Carly Pearce for Lainey Wilson's part on ‘Wait In The Truck'. Finishing up the night with a raucous rendition of ‘Truck Bed', it was an absolutely barnstorming end to the festival. I really hope he brings the full show over to the UK soon because that was sensational!
We also got to see Platform Stage performances from rising stars Zach Top and Wyatt Flores (who's coming to the UK in August), as well as a special guest appearance on the main stage from Jackson Dean performing his song ‘Fearless'.
It's been an absolutely brilliant week – here's hoping we can make it back over to Nashville again soon! In the meantime, don't forget to look out for the TV special hosted by Jelly Roll and Ashley McBryde, and all our interviews and round ups from our week in Music City here on EF Country.
For more information on CMA Fest, please visit http://cmafest.com.
