I had landed in Nashville the night before, unprepared for what was to come. Having never been to Nashville, the United States of America or CMA Fest, I had no idea what to expect, especially, considering my trip was booked last minute. The first thing I did was download the CMA Fest app. I like having a loose plan when I travel so this was perfect in telling me which artist was playing, when and on what stage – which was helpful yet also flawed (but more on this later).
Formally known as Fan Fair, CMA Fest began in 1972. This year’s festival raised more than $2.5 million for music education and saw more than 90,000 people flock to Nashville, Tennessee.
Stages
CMA Fest has five free day stages located around downtown – Chevy Riverfront Stage, Dr. Pepper Amp Stage, Chevy Vibes Stage, Good Molecules Reverb Stage and the Hard Rock Stage. CMA Close Up Stage and Spotlight Stage are situated at Fan Fair X inside the Music City Center building, tickets cost $10USD per day or $25USD for a four-day pass (included with a stadium pass). Additionally, there are two night stages – Ascend Amplitheater and Nissan Stadium.
The Chevy Riverfront Stage is the largest (and most intimidating) of the free stages. Located at Riverfront Park on the bank of the Cumberland River, audiences could grab a drink or snack at a nearby stall and watch the performers from the grassy hill. You could also upgrade with a Riverside Retreat pass which allowed a private entrance and exclusive amenities.
The Dr. Pepper Amp Stage is situated near the Chevy Riverfront Stage in Ascend Park but is a lot smaller. It also had a range of drink and food stalls, as well as a merchandise tent, CMA Fest statue (the perfect photo op) and interactive activities. This stage was one of my favourites to discover new music. The only downside was that the tech area is smack bang in the middle so audience members not near the front had to stand on either side or nab a free seat.
The stage was a short walk to the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge which offers prime views of downtown and the Cumberland River.
The Chevy Vibes Stage at the Walk Of Fame Park is centrally located nearby Music City Center, Bridgestone Arena and the Country Music Fall of Fame and Museum. Similar to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in California, the park itself has plaques that honour music legends like Reba McEntire, Jimi Hentrix, Martina McBride, Elvis Presley, Keith Urban and many more. This stage was huge and, being so central, it was always populated with people.
The Good Molecules Reverb Stage is at Bridgestone Plaza beside Bridgestone Arena. This stage was my least favourite of the five. The area was quite small so it easily got crowded. It did have some shade either side of the stage (although, again, it got crowded quickly early in the day) but was easily accessible from other stages so I would often walk by and stop to hear new artists.
The Hard Rock Stage is next to the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant. It is the smallest of the stages but nearby the Chevy Riverfront and Dr. Pepper Amp stages as well as on Broadway, so it had great foot traffic. The Hard Rock Cafe had CMA themed merchandise for sale both inside and outside.
Day 1
I firstly had wanted to see Australian artists Lane Pittman and Andrew Swift, who were appearing on the Spotlight Stage at 11.30am and 2.30pm respectively, as well as a meet and greet with up-and-coming Australian songstress Brittany Elise, but tickets were sold out due to Dolly Parton’s ‘Kicking Off CMA Fest’ appearance on the CMA Close Up Stage inside Fan Fair X.
Accepting defeat that I wasn’t getting into Fan Fair X, the first artist I went to see was Chase Wright at 12.30pm on the Chevy Vibes Stage. The Indiana-native has been gaining momentum with his relatable storytelling and big choruses. I stood at the front left of stage and had a perfect view. The highlight was his track Why Don’t We intermixed the 3 Doors Down banger, Kryptonite.
What struck me right away was the blaring sun and lack of shade at the outdoor stages. My body doesn’t regulate heat well, so I was struggling. I opted to buy some merch and food and return to my hotel before heading out again. This was even before I’d been on Broadway, the main street famed for its neon lights, bars and restaurants.
Learn From My Mistakes
While relaxing in the air con, I discovered via social media that one of my favourite artists, Mitchell Tenpenny was to perform as part of Spotify House at Ole Red (300 Broadway) in 30 minutes or so. I hastily left my hotel only to be told the wait time to get in was 1.5 hours.
See, seeing as Tenpenny wasn’t listed on the app, I had concluded that he wasn’t performing anywhere and thought nothing more about it. This is when I discovered that there are MANY other shows happening around Nashville beyond those listed on the CMA Fest website and app. Social media websites of venues and artists or googling popular spots like Chiefs or Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway is your best bet to find information and line-ups. There’s also the Nashville Visitor Centre (501 Broadway) who can help you out.
The Spotify House line-up was impressive, ran over three days with artists like Cole Swindell, Luke Bryan, Old Dominion, Lady A, Ashley McBryde, Midland, Brett Young and more performing. I couldn’t see inside but it looked to be an intimate space to see some of country music’s biggest stars for free – most definitely a place to check out at CMA Fest.
What I hadn’t known earlier is that hundreds of artists perform across the four days. You can find live music in bars and restaurants, sometimes right next door and often on different levels of the same building. Nothing can prepare you for the cacophony of noise on Broadway, but it means opportunity for music is maximum. Heading back to the hotel was foolish when there were so many venues offering live music, a cold drink and air con. Learn from my mistakes.
Day 1… continued.
It was nearing 4pm and next on my list was Blake O’Connor and Sinead Burgess with veteran songwriter and southern rock artist Kenneth Wright at Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar (220 Printers Alley). Just off the beaten track in the historic part of town, this was a cool two-story venue with quirky memorabilia on the walls, a very Southern menu featuring alligator bites, catfish bites, voodoo fingers, fried okra and shrimp and crawfish etouffee, among others, and signature drinks (I had the Peach Parade, but Lisa’s Pink Panty Dropper was equally tempting).
Burgess and O’Connor are the most incredibly lovely and talented people you could ever meet. I’d been a fan of O’Connor since he took the title of Toyota Star Maker in 2019. He since released his debut studio album, Everything I Feel, which reached number one on the ARIA Country Album Chart and follow up, Finding Light.
He and Burgess moved to Nashville last year to further their music careers.
Burgess, also a talented artist in her own right and host of The Big 615 radio show, released her current single, Always Gonna Break My Heart, earlier this year. I was lucky enough to see her in London last year where she wowed on her first headline show. The audience watched in awe as the intimate venue helped beautifully capture her soulful voice as she took us through her music catalogue followed by a Q&A. The couple I sat beside also complimented her voice.
Wright, whose voice is similar to Australia’s James Blundell, led the show, singing songs (while backed by the talented Aussie duo) as well as telling jokes about the south. O’Connor and Burgess also got to sing with each taking turns. Burgess sang two gorgeous covers – Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me and Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon, while O’Connor gave a rousing rendition of Waylon Jennings’ I Ain’t Living Long Like This, among others.
This was by far one of my favourite shows during CMA Fest. It was nice hearing something a little different than the overwhelming repetition of pop and rock country. The sound was great, the atmosphere was buzzing, and the staff were friendly and accommodating. The venue started getting crowded around 5.30pm so I’d recommend booking a table to get a prime spot if you go.
I sadly only stayed for two hours – which honestly flew by, and I could have easily stayed for the whole set – before I had to leave for my next gig. I had heard that Australian artists Will Day and Amy Sheppard (also from the indie band Sheppard) were appearing in a showcase at the Whiskey Bent Saloon (306 Broadway). Optimistic that I could drop by for a quick song, I arrived to find another artist on stage. Confused, I quickly left – not realising there was a second floor.
More on that to come, but Sheppard began exploring country music after attending CMC Rocks Festival in 2019. She later released her debut EP, Nothing But Wild in 2022, which reached number 16 on the ARIA Charts and featured the singles Blue Guitar, Couple Goals and title track.
She also joined The Wolfe Brothers on Something Good’s Gonna Happen, which was nominated for the 2023 ‘Video of the Year’ Golden Guitar, as well as Travis Collins and US a cappella group Home Free on a cover of the Rickie Lee Jones/Daryl Braithwaite classic, The Horses.
Instead, I headed to Hyatt Place (301 3rd Ave S) to see Lisa De Angelis at 6pm. Since graduating from the CMAA’s Academy of Country Music in 2019, the hot newcomer released her debut single Tumblin’ Back in 2021 (and a string of follow ups) and toured with Steve Kilbey (The Church), Amber Lawrence, James Blundell, Hayley Jensen, Catherine Britt, Melody Moko and more.
Full of charisma, you won’t believe the unbelievable story of how she began her country music career – but better to hear it in her own words (a jaw dropping moment for the audience). Her debut album, recorded and co-produced by De Angelis and her partner Paul Bain in their private studio in Brisbane, is due for release in early 2025 – she’s definitely one to watch.
Next up was the Whiskey Jam showcase at Dierks Whiskey Row Nashville (400 Broadway) from 8pm. Australian artist Travis Collins and New Zealand-born/Australia-based Kaylee Bell were to perform along with Noah Thompson, Mary Sarah, Sheyna Gee and Ben Chase.
I first saw Collins live sixteen years ago in a small pub in Abingdon, a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in the Vale of the White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. At the time he had only released two albums but was quickly making his way up the country music ranks, having already taken out the prestigious Star Maker Quest title years earlier.
He now has a total of eight studio albums, including four number one albums–Wired (2015), Brave & The Broken (2018), Wreck Me (2020) and Any Less Anymore (2023)-as well as eight Golden Guitar Award wins–his most recent being the 2024 ‘Vocal Collaboration of the Year’ Running The Country (with The Wolfe Brothers).
I’ve seen Collins grow from being a great performer to an amazing one (or world class, if you will). He has one of the finest male voices in Australian country music.
Bell is also one of Australasia’s finest exports. Her accolades include being the first New Zealand-born artist to win Toyota Star Maker since Keith Urban; opening for Brad Paisley, Ed Sheeran and The Chicks, and since 2023 is the first independent Australasian female country singer to be awarded ARIA Gold for The Red EP (thanks to her number one single Keith, which she performed in front of the country music superstar on the 2022 season of The Voice Australia). With over 60 million streams, she is currently the ‘Most Streamed Female Country Artist’ in Australia.
Dividing her time between Australia, New Zealand and the US, Bell has collaborated with a slew of artists from James Johnston, Canadian American country pop singer Lindsay Ell, Josh Mirenda, Lepani, The McClymonts and most recently Navvy. She just wrapped up her Nights Like This New Zealand and Australian tour in promotion of her new album of the same name.
Boots ‘N All is my favourite track of hers to see performed live, as she encourages the audience to line dance along with her and her band.
I ended the day having not seen a lot a music but learning a whole lot more in between.
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This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body. The Writer was assisted to travel through the Creative Australia Music Writers Lab pilot bursary program 2023.
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 