CMA Music Festival- Nashive, TN - 6.5.08 By Chad Carlson Published: July 6, 2008 PrintEmail
As the sun rose in the distance on the morning of June 5, 2008, the city of Nashville, TN instantly transformed into the home of the nation’s biggest country music festival. The 2008 edition of the CMA Music Festival had been the most anticipated in its 30+ year history, continuing the streak of previous years, the event has gained increasing popularity each time around. Originating in the early 1970s, the festival features not-to-be-missed performances of some of the biggest acts in country music, appearances by celebrities, and tons of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for artist/fan interaction. With an average daily attendance of 52,000, the streets of Nashville were filled to capacity early in the morning with fans anxious to catch their first glimpse of a country superstar and to get their hands on the free giveaways and contests the event has become known for over the years. As the temperature rose to the upper 80’s and low 90’s by mid-morning, many festival-attendees were seeking shelter early and often at the truTV(tm) Fan Fair® Hall, which also was the center of the festival throughout the weekend, treating fans to the opportunity of autograph signings and Meet & Greet experiences with their favorite artists.
The music started early with the opening of the Greased Lighting Daytime Stages at Riverfront Park. After a stellar performance of the national anthem by CMA veteran singer-songwriter Deborah Allen, musical genius and everyone’s favorite rockin’ pianist Phil Vassar took the stage to officially kick off the festival. There appears to be something about the Lynchburg, Virginia native that drives women of all ages insane, and on this day, that insanity caused them to be waiting at the gates before dawn to see Phil open up country music’s weekend of the year. Performing his hits “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Carlene,” “I’ll Take That As A Yes,” and “Love is a Beautiful Thing,” Vassar treated the fans to a seemingly headlining performance, and the fans cheered and danced as if they had already treated themselves to a six pack summer (many of them had). With beers raised in the air, the crowd was disappointed that Phil’s set lasted a measly 20 minutes, but didn’t’ have time to pout as Jo Dee Messina took the stage almost immediately. While she had the crowd jumping early and often with her classic favorites “I’m Alright” and “Bye Bye,” Messina seemed to lose her appeal as her set went on, playing slower, newer, unknown tunes that were forgotten the second they ended.
One of the most popular aspects of the festival is the “photo line,” in which fans are permitted to walk past the front of the stage and snap a picture or two of their favorite performers. While it’s a fabulous idea and has been a staple of the event for years, it caused slight disruptions for those audience members who had waited for hours to get their front row position in front of the stage. The intense heat and humidity accompanied by the early morning binge drinking of the majority of the audience resulted in short tempers and scuffles that attracted security, and unfortunately took away from some of the performances.
Other notable sets from the morning included Houston, Texas native Jason Michael Carroll, whose performance of his top 10 hit, “Livin’ Our Love Song” had the audience singing along to every word and swaying with the rhythm of Carroll’s incredible band. “Country man” Luke Bryan put on an impressive show, although outside of his hit “All My Friends Say,” seemed insecure and uncomfortable on the Riverfront Stage, and the audience seemed to notice. Fans were obviously only interested in catching the performance of his most popular single, barely acknowledging his presence on the stage otherwise. Still, Bryan stuck to what he does best; rocking out with a wonderful array of twangy southern rock tunes with his trademark happy-go-lucky grin on his face throughout.
Lunchtime brought the exit of the majority of those who had entered at the opening of the gates, seeking shelter from the unbearable heat. Those festival-goers who decided to stay did everything they could to stay cool, finding small batches of shade and dumping full ice cold bottles of water on each other. Unfortunately, the performances in the 12:00-2:00 slot were only sub par, which included disappointing sets by country stud Keith Anderson and CMA veteran Aaron Tippin. Other than their respective hits “Pickin’ Wildflowers” (Anderson) and “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly” (Tippin), both the artists and the audience seemed unenthused and distracted by the blaring sun and the intense humidity.
The Nashville Convention Center, which housed the truTV(tm) Fan Fair® Hall, also featured the media wing and information booths for fans and press to interact with CMA personnel as well as performers and publicists. Artists including Deborah Allen, Eric Church, Randy Travis, and Lonestar were on hand for interviews and Meet & Greet sessions with fans and media alike. Downstairs in the Fan Fair Hall, hundreds of fans of all ages waited in excruciatingly long lines to get an autograph and picture with their favorite artists, while others entered in radio contests and shopped at the vendors and exhibition booths which housed the festival’s sponsors throughout the weekend.
history, continuing the streak of previous years, the event has gained increasing popularity each time around. Originating in the early 1970s, the festival features not-to-be-missed performances of some of the biggest acts in country music, appearances by celebrities, and tons of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for artist/fan interaction. With an average daily attendance of 52,000, the streets of Nashville were filled to capacity early in the morning with fans anxious to catch their first glimpse of a country superstar and to get their hands on the free giveaways and contests the event has become known for over the years. As the temperature rose to the upper 80’s and low 90’s by mid-morning, many festival-attendees were seeking shelter early and often at the truTV(tm) Fan Fair® Hall, which also was the center of the festival throughout the weekend, treating fans to the opportunity of autograph signings and Meet & Greet experiences with their favorite artists.
a native that drives women of all ages insane, and on this day, that insanity caused them to be waiting at the gates before dawn to see Phil open up country music’s weekend of the year. Performing his hits “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Carlene,” “I’ll Take That As A Yes,” and “Love is a Beautiful Thing,” Vassar treated the fans to a seemingly headlining performance, and the fans cheered and danced as if they had already treated themselves to a six pack summer (many of them had). With beers raised in the air, the crowd was disappointed that Phil’s set lasted a measly 20 minutes, but didn’t’ have time to pout as Jo Dee Messina took the stage almost immediately. While she had the crowd jumping early and often with her classic favorites “I’m Alright” and “Bye Bye,” Messina seemed to lose her appeal as her set went on, playing slower, newer, unknown tunes that were forgotten the second they ended.
“Livin’ Our Love Song” had the audience singing along to every word and swaying with the rhythm of Carroll’s incredible band. “Country man” Luke Bryan put on an impressive show, although outside of his hit “All My Friends Say,” seemed insecure and uncomfortable on the Riverfront Stage, and the audience seemed to notice. Fans were obviously only interested in catching the performance of his most popular single, barely acknowledging his presence on the stage otherwise. Still, Bryan stuck to what he does best; rocking out with a wonderful array of twangy southern rock tunes with his trademark happy-go-lucky grin on his face throughout. 
ense humidity.
