Country Mike Blog

CMA Music Festival, Day 1

Mike Sudhalter  |  June 12, 2009

It's been a whirlwind of a first couple of days at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn. I'm helping out some friends with a booth for their website, Roughstock, to which I contribute CD reviews - primarily Texas Music.

I have a whole new appreciation for folks who work festivals. We spent all of Wednesday night putting CDs into sleeves, and I handed them out to fans and spectators in the hot Tennessee sun throughout the day Thursday. We had to haul CDs and T-Shirts down to the CMA Festival area. But it was all worth it - even missing the Alan Jackson 20th Anniversary Concert at the Cadillac Ranch. OK, I wish I could have been there since I'm a huge Alan Jackson fan.

But I met Tonya Watts and Michael Peterson on separate occasions walking down the street, and I think they were both impressed that I knew who they were.

Then, we had a horrible dining experience at a Nashville restaurant that I will not mention (More details later).

The big show at LP Field was going well with Brooks & Dunn playing, followed by Reba McEntire. But halfway through McEntire's set, emcee Storme Warren of GAC interuppted to let fans know that storms were on their way. After about a 2.5 hour delay, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley took the stage.

The concert ended at 2 a.m., and I returned to the hotel around 2:30. I think it's great that the CMA made the show go on. Fans came from all over the country and the world to watch it, and although about half stayed after the long layover, it was well worth it.

It's almost 4 a.m. in Nashville, and I figure I need to get at least some shut-eye. Over the next three days, I'll get more of an opportunity to enjoy the festival.

Warren revealed that Kid Rock is going to be a special guest at Saturday night's LP Field show. That should be interesting.

More details to come, soon. And I will finish the Top 20 Country Music States when the festival is over. I know y'all are looking forward to it.