CMA Fest 2014 - Day 4

Sunday, June 8th

Great American Country Breakfast Series
Yes folks, that's right... Theresa and I got to eat breakfast while listening to performances by 4 wonderful country artists.

Rose Falcon was first to take the stage. I'd venture to say that I'm more familiar with the songs she's written than any music she's recorded herself. She was quite sweet to the nearly 250 of us while we were still in the midst of waking up.

Leah Turner was next up and seemed bound and determined to get the room rockin'. I enjoyed the edge to her music and the little grit in her voice. A very strong performance for 8:30ish in the morning.

Third to take the stage was Jamie O'Neal. Another wonderful set to wake up to and it was nice to hear some of her stories about the songs and happenings prior to the show so early in the morning.

Rewinding a bit... I debated back and forth whether I wanted to get tickets for this GAC Breakfast. Buffet starts around 7:00am with music at 8:00, assuming you can get out of bed early enough after the LP Field concert the night before and make your way back into the heart of Nashville.

Not knowing when I might get back to CMA Fest again and having the opportunity to Kristian Bush in an intimate venue with the promise of a meet and greet... well, I couldn't pass it up. I do still cringe thinking about how I woke up earlier that Sunday morning than any workday.

My absolutely favorite pic I snapped of Kristian is above. I just love his smile. As he was warming up the audience, I yelled out, "Riverfront", with a fist pump. He assumed none of us knew any of his music, but I had to let him know I supported him at the Riverfront Stage earlier in the week. Another lady in the audience chimed in too, and that's when Kristian told us that he expected us to sing along with all the lyrics. I did my best, but will practice up once his solo album comes out. Can't wait!

After the concert, we headed over to FanFair X where we got our photos taken with the artists. I was able to sneak in a super short conversation with Kristian, and for some reason... well, he decided to give this overly excited fan a guitar pic (see first photo in this post). I kind of wish I had a picture of the smile on my face after that. I hope I didn't bruise Kristian's arm with my "thank you" pats.

Samsung Galaxy Stage
You might be wondering how Theresa and I knew of all the artists and events that were going on during the CMA Fest. It was actually quite easy thanks to an CMA Fest 2014 app we were able to download on our phones. Prior to the trip as I scrolled through the 100's of artist listings, I can across the names Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. Holy Smokes! That's Nelson! Rewind to the early 1990's and the cassette tape that got played round the clock.

To no surprise I turned into a little kid. It was fantastic! They gave out a couple CDs for those of us who waited to meet them after the show. Not only do I have a photo with them, but they autographed the CDs to/for me. Too bad David Cassidy wasn't there for Theresa to meet.

I have no stats, but I believe based on the beautiful weather that Sunday was the busiest day of CMA Fest during the day. Theresa and I were ready to get out of the heat for bit come early and afternoon and as we passed over the pedestrian bridge we couldn't help but notice how crowded the Riverfront Stage was, and about a dozen boats listening from the river.

I promise you, there is grass, stairs, and tiers within that sea of people. Not only did good weather contribute to the size of the crowd, but they had a good lineup, and all of these daytime festival stage concerts were free for anyone to see.

LP Field
After some relaxation time in the afternoon, Theresa and I made it back to LP Field for the last night of shows. As I look back, I probably should have taken a nap, but I was more focused on making sure I would sleep well that night and didn't want to throw myself off. Here's a shot of Nashville from the upper deck concourse at LP Field. (I still don't know what LP stands for.)

The last night started out with Charlie Daniels Band. Theresa and I had high hopes of staking out our lower bowl obstructed seats, but the arena staff was on to everyone this night, so up to section 333 we treked. Charlie Daniels still has it and was quite the crowd pleaser with Devil Went Down to Georgia.

Next up was Thomas Rhett. He got some good crowd participation with the cell phone flashlights, but that's about all I remember. During the ride back to the hotel I asked Theresa who was playing on the radio. She told me it was Thomas Rhett... the guy that just played that song about an hour ago. Note: I did say I should have taken a nap.

I was excited to see Lady Antebellum take the stage, since I've never seen them in concert before. One would not be able to tell that based on my posture at the time. Feet up on the seat in front of me, elbow on knee, and chin resting on hand. If Theresa were taller than me, then I may have been asleep on her shoulder in between acts. Lady A did a nice job, but lacked the oomph to truly wake me up.

Then there came Hunter Hayes, the human equivalent to a Mexican Jumping Bean. The only reason why I got a clear shot of him on my phone camera is because he was sitting down. His showmanship has grown since I last saw him and he put on an awesome show! Dude is so talented... writing music and playing all instruments.

Last up for Theresa and I at CMA Fest 2014 was Zac Brown Band. I saw them once upon a time opening up for Little Big Town. To see them on this grand stage was a treat. They had the whole place rocking & swaying and they truly connected with the audience. It was a joy to see and a perfect note to end the night on.

Ummm, yeah, Brad Paisley must have drawn the short straw. Poor guy played to a fairly sparse crowd. We weren't the only ones who decided to boogie after ZBB to the stage. Luckily we managed to beat getting stuck in a parking fiasco, and not seeing Brad leaves me with a reason to go back someday.

My first CMA Fest experience was unforgettable. I had a blast and couldn't have asked for a better person to enjoy the adventure with than Theresa. We were going to get one last selfie as we left that evening, but none of the lights were in our favor. I suppose that's one more reason to go back.

CMA Fest 2014 - Day 3

Saturday, June 7th

Greer Stadium
Remember how we got trapped in the parking lot after the show the night before? Well, there was an added level of... shall we call it stinky cheeseness because someone bought us tickets to watch the City of Hope Celebrity Softball game at 9am. The ability to sleep in on this vacation had run its course!

The teams consisted of quite a few country artists, sports figures, radio personalities, and a couple guest players, children who had successfully battled cancer. And the umpires were servicemen... pretty cool!

I was most impressed with the skills of Sara Evans. As a true softball player, she was a bit anxious to hit the ball during her first at-bat to help her team take the lead. She played the whole game at first base and made positive contributions throughout the game. She's an all-star in my book, plus she wore her socks up! A close second would be Lauren Alaina, catching below. Not a true softball player, but athletic and had some pop in her bat.

Another player with all-star status was Chase Rice, who we saw perform at the Riverfront Stage. Not only did he surprise with the set he performed the day before, but the man has decent underhand pitching form.

Not only could Chase pitch, but he could hit too. And he didn't even flinch when they switched out the ball on him. A classic prank... loved it! Now I understand this was a game for charity, but I was a bit disappointed that the "official scorer" lost track of the game which led to runs being scored for the opposite team. It was quite bizarre... maybe the heat was getting to them.

Yep, not only did we have an early day, but it was a hot one too! Theresa and I vacated our seats for higher grounds where we found a scosche of shade. As we looked into the future, we saw ourselves frying in the heat, surrounded by our sweaty drunk friends while watching The Swon Brothers at Riverfront Stage. Flashbacks of yesterday also creeped into our minds and we opted for some R&R instead... it was vacation after all.

BMI Tailgate Stage
Naps, yes we napped. But we were up-and-at-em in time to make it to LP Field where Brett Eldredge was scheduled to play the Tailgate Stage. We knew weather was headed our way, so with ponchos in hand we weaved through the crowd and made our way to the stage, which was just outside the LP entrance. Next thing we knew, we'd been whisked inside with everybody and their brother and were told to take cover under the concourse. Something about Thunderstorm Warnings and Tornado Watches in the area. I snapped this picture as the heaviest part of the rain blew sideways (That's not a cloud in front of the big screen tv) at the end of the concourse.

The most eventful moment was when the yellow fencing took a topple in the high-speed winds. We were "entertained" by a street performing drumming on 5-gallon buckets. It was so loud and he seemed to follow us around. With this delay, Brett Eldredge never took the stage and the main event started at least an hour after scheduled.

LP Field
With the wind and rain, Theresa and I opted to squat in some seats in the endzone. The stage itself was blocked by... well, all the stuff in the photo below, but our goal was to have a good view of the big screen. That's really all we watched in our nosebleed seats anyway. If you look closely, you can see one of the crew members climbing the pole on the left, on their way to man the cameras for the show to begin. I wish I had the ability to thank them all personally.

Up first was Sara Evans, my softball all-star. Only familiar with her hits on the radio, I still thoroughly enjoyed her set. She played my favorite song, As If, and rocked the stage in the wind and rain. I definitely need to check out more of her music! Such a beautiful voice.

Taking the stage next was Little Big Town. My love for them has grown over the years as I've seen them perform many a show with Sugarland. It's been awesome to watch them explode over the last few years! I was looking forward to singing my heart out with them. Although I must say that with the current weather conditions, it was a little unnerving to listen to them play Tornado. Maybe it was just me... most everyone by that point had a WTF attitude and was three sheets to the wind.

You'll notice I have no pics of LBT or the next artist, Darius Rucker. I was in full poncho mode, arms inside, trying to keep warm as the temperature dropped, plus I didn't want to ruin my phone in the pouring rain. I've enjoyed Darius' voice ever since Hootie and Blowfish and couldn't wait to see him perform. He played my country favs and even a throwback song to his Hootie days. We didn't win a meet & greet with him, so the cardboard cutout will have to do for now. Someday... someday.

As the night continued, the WTF attitude of the crowd got worse and our somewhat empty, obstructed section became inundated with sopping wet, so drunk we can barely stand country music fans. Between these new "friends", being chilled to the bone, an early wakeup call, and having already see one of the last acts, we headed back to the hotel. Don't get me wrong, Keith Urban would have put on a good show as Theresa and I both know, and Florida Georgia Line can definitely hold their own as I've seen, but in the long run, it just wasn't worth it. I thank Theresa for skipping out on seeing FGL, which would have been her first time to see them in concert.

CMA Fest 2014 - Day 2

Friday, June 6
The plan for Friday was to sleep in a bit because parking would no longer be an issue for us at LP Field. The night before we lucked into buying a parking pass from a couple that arranged to take a shuttle instead. Not only were we guaranteed a parking spot for the remaining days, but we actually saved some money!

We made into downtown Nashville and hoofed it over to Jack's Bar-B-Que for lunch. I couldn't resist eating at a place with flying pigs in the logo. In addition, it's well known for the best BBQ in Nashville. No complaints here, and we even ate there another day!

Riverfront Stage
We moseyed around the streets of the festival as we headed to the Riverfront Stage. After the previous day, we came prepared with a couple towels and a boat load of sunscreen, and found a nice patch of grass on the side tiers near the food vendors instead of the port-o-potties on the other side. As we waited for our "Main Event", we took in some good music by Dan + Shay, Collin Raye, and Chase Rice (you'll learn more about him tomorrow).

Our "Main Event"... wait, maybe it was MY "Main Event" started when Kristian Bush, AKA one half of Sugarland. If you don't know who Sugarland is, then you must not be a longtime blog follower of mine. You also might not know that I'm not a fan of standing in mob of people all bunched up near the front of the stage, but the CMA Fest took people like me into mind with their planning.

Each of the big stages had a fenced off walkway that ran directly in front of the stage. All you needed was a magical 4-day CMA Fest badge like Theresa and I sported around our necks. Part way through Kristian's set I headed down from our perch to watch the rest of the show from the front row. I thoroughly enjoyed his new music and sit here smiling just thinking about it.

Up next was Kellie Pickler. I can't say I'm terribly familiar with her songs, but after seeing her on many a talk show I could only imagine how much fun one of her shows would be. I love when artists are personable and acknowledge the fans. Kellie may as well been playing for a group of her closest friends.

There was one more act after Kellie finished, but at least 50% of the overflowing crowd decided to leave just like we did. Thank goodness there wasn't a fire we were trying to escape. We would have all perished or be swimming in the Cumberland River. I can't even imagine how much random perspiration got absorbed into my clothing as we inched our way towards one of 2 exits while sliding past our rowdy, drunken "friends". It was a bit of a nightmare we would not soon forget!

LP Field
We had a bit of time to kill after escaping the madness at the Riverfront Stage. In search of Miranda Lambert's store, we came across a Hooters. It's like Hooters was following us around... not good enough for one to be located right next to our hotel. As much as we joked about eating there for the first time ever, we just couldn't bring ourselves to do it. We did find Miranda's store, but there was a line out the door to get in and they had cut it off because the store closed at 5pm. Seriously?!?! [insert eyeroll]

With our bellies full of Mexican food and sufficiently hydrated, we criss-crossed back through downtown and across the river for the Big Show. First up was Travis Tritt. In an attempt to enjoy the concert without distraction we climbed our way to the top corner of the upper deck where the seats had been empty the night before. Possibly because we would come to know these seats as the bird poop seats.

People showed up to take the bird poop seats this night, so Theresa and I made the trek back to our ticketed seats. We were fortunate that our drunken friends were fans of most of the acts this night. But our Canadian friends went even more off the deep end. The girls became known in our section as "2 for $20". They tried to cut a deal with the beer vendor the night before.... oh my!

This is Eric Church. Once upon a time I was supposed to see him in Bloomington, IL. After that day I couldn't bring myself to make the effort to see his solo tour, but I was looking forward to his performance this night. To no surprise, just like Jason Aldean that played later this evening... neither one attempted to make a connection with the audience. I give him a shoulder shrug.

I regretted not buying tickets to The Band Perry when then played Bradley University a year or so ago. This was my moment to rock out with them. And holy smokes did they ever put on a show. I love when country artists play pop/rap songs and they did just that with a cover of Timber. The upper deck was literally shaking!!! It was so much fun!

Jason Aldean - yeah, I begrudgingly watched his set.

The night picked up again when Miranda Lambert hit the stage. Some people may say she didn't directly thank the fans either, but she showed her appreciation through interacting with us, performing her ass off, and surprising us with a Carrie Underwood duet.

I have no explanation as to why I don't have a photo of Blake Shelton. Possibly because over the last few years with his participation on The Voice he would reach into my living room on a weekly basis. I dont' know, I suppose I could take a pic of his Pizza Hut commercial and post that. As expected, Blake sounded good, but his set seemed too short.

With this being our first CMA Fest, Theresa and I learned a lesson at almost every turn. This evening we would learn that if one stays through the end of the last song of the night, then said person is guaranteed at least an hour stand-still in the parking lot. Props to Theresa for getting our car turned around, so we wouldn't become blinded by the SUV with it's brights shining into our windshield. This photo of some stir-crazy gals was taken at least 45 minutes in and you can see Theresa's hair glowing on the right, thanks to the bright headlights. The random phrase of the night coming out of a slap-happy Jane, "Is that a potato?"

CMA Fest 2014 - Day 1

Okay, soooo, in order to start Day 1 at CMA Fest 2014, Theresa and I had to get to Nashville first. The day prior we made the long trek from Peoria, IL and came across so pretty wackadoo drivers.

Thursday, June 5th

The plan for our first day at CMA Fest was to find an ideal parking spot near LP Field, take the pedestrian bridge into downtown Nashville, and stop in at FanFair X to see LeAnne Rimes and the hundreds of booths.

FanFair X
It was basically a country music tradeshow filled with booths from upcoming or established artists, wearables to buy, freebies, tv/radio, contests to enter and live music. For shits & giggles, I was hoping to catch LeAnn Rimes, but quite a few shiny things caught my attention, plus we didn't really know what stage she was on (there were 3 inside FanFair X).

We planned ahead and wore Mountain Dew t-shirts, so we'd make a splash at their booth. To our disappointment, it was actually a DIET Dew booth. But to our excitement, we got to meet the cardboard version of Dierks Bentley. Theresa also one a post of him, which I suggest she hangs in front of her parking spot in the garage (I don't think Jim would mind).

I knew Nashville had a Dave and Busters, but the chance of us having the time and/or energy to get over there so I could race some cars was pretty slim. Luckily, Firestone tires came through and had an Indy car simulation at their booth!

This has got to be my favorite selfie of the event. Kotex had a booth with a wheel you could spin!!! That's the shiniest thing in the world to me! To spin the wheel, I was required to take a selfie and tweet it.... Done and DONE! With a spin of the wheel, I got $5 Dollar General gift card. Theresa made out a bit better with $25!

We eventually made our way to LeAnn Rimes after even more distractions that what I've listed above... not in any particular order. By the time we made it to the stage, she was doing a Q&A about her upcoming reality show... ugh! Because I was feeling onry, I captured a pic and sent it to Kjothesmartass before we were on our way.

Here's a couple pics of us when given props. I'll admit it... I was quite surprised Theresa rolled with my suggestion for mustaches.

And, this is what happens when you where a green shirt for a "green screen" photo! I got to pick my prop and design the background. Serenading the cows at CMA Fest, can't get much better than that.

Riverfront Stage
The day was flying by and it was time to hit the booths and stages outside. As we were passing the Opry Originals store, we spotted a line with the name Josh Turner attached to it. Of course, you had to have a ticket to get inside for the meet & greet with him. But wait, there was a stand-by line and we were the 10th and 11th people in line!!! Since Josh didn't perform during the CMA Fest, this was the next best thing. Plus, Theresa got to brag to her daughters.

Up next we headed to the Riverfront Stage to see Charlie Worsham. I listened to samples of all artists' music that were scheduled to play on this stage and he was the only one I wasn't familiar with that really stood out. I'm so glad we made it to see him. He put on an awesome show. Great music and high energy! Survey says he's going to be one of my new favorites.

Samsung Galaxy Stage
Last up in downtown Nashville was Canaan Smith at the Samsung Galaxy Stage. I'd seen him a few years ago when he opened up for Sugarland. I even got to meet him after one of the shows. Still waiting for new music from Canaan, I was excited to what his set list was like. Unfortunately, it was the style of music I remembered. I recall him as having fun, inventive lyrics to upbeat and/or faster paced music. I hate to admit it, but he lost me during this performance. His unique twist was gone in my eyes.

LP Field
At some point during the day Theresa grabbed some meals and hit an ice cream shop during a rain storm. By the time the evening arrived, the skies had cleared and we were ready for the main event at LP Field, where the Tennessee Titan NFL team plays.

I didn't start to get into country music until the Dixie Chicks came along and then more so in 2007 when radio formats changed in Peoria and I started tuning into our local country station. A late announcement to CMA Fest 2014 was Alabama. I have one of their songs and was beyond hoping they would play it, I'm In A Hurry (and Don't Know Why). I think it's safe to say that my favorite performance at LP Field was when Alabama played this song. I had goose bumps and the biggest grin on my face as I sang.... I mean shouted the lyrics!

Luke Bryan - what is there to say about Luke Bryan. Well, he has a song with the lyrics, Country Girls Shake it for Me. And those girls/women might shake it for him during the show, but he shakes it right back! Such a fun performance to watch.

Dierks Bentley - This was the first time I'd seen Dierks and he played quite a few of his hits, so I was more than happy to sing along. Simply a great performance!

Rascal Flatts - They were last up for us this night. I knew the Flatts would put on a good show, but would they play my favorite song Mayberry (I like to make this my ringtone for the the parents). They didn't, but I believe they surprised us all when they brought the band to the front of the stage and sang Happy acapella!

(Tim McGraw) - I don't recall exactly why we made the decision to leave after the Flatts, but Tim McGraw did not feel our love this night. In place of his performance, I leave you with a panorama shot from our seats in the upper deck nose bleed seats.