CMA Fest 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008: Traveled to Nashville. Saw Keith Anderson (one of my favorites), Joe Nichols, Luke Bryan and James Otto at a free concert downtown! Not bad when the CMA Fest doesn't start until Thursday!
We picked up our parking pass, our "freebie" bag, so we are ready to go!
The crowd is entertaining when there isn't any entertainment!
After getting to the hotel, we noticed we had missed several "fan parties" (including Tracy Bryd), but....we try to pace ourselves! Tomorrow will be a full day. We plan on going to the Riverstage (Jo Dee Mesina, Luke Bryan, Keith Anderson, Mindy McCready, Aaron Tippon, Mark Chestnet, Danielle Peck, Tracy Bryd among many others) and than going to the Convention Center for the booths, autograph/picture sessons and (perhaps most of all) the air conditioning!
One thing I really like about CMA Fest is that I always discover some new singer I haven't been aware of before who becomes a favorite. I especially enjoy the fiddle players.
(For example, I wasn't consciously aware of Keith Anderson, John Anderson, Jeff Bates and others until I saw them "live" at the CMA Fest.
Nighttime will be the "big" show at the football stadium.
Thursday June 5, 2008: Went to the River Stage. To hot and too many people (I'm not standing up in the hot sun for anyone!). Heard Jo Dee Messina but couldn't stand the heat!
Went to the Convention Center (exhibits, autographs etc.). Actually saw Randy Travis and almost got his autograph and a picture with him, but the line was too long. He was originally supposed to only stay for 20 minutes and he stayed much longer, so it was ok. He was good natured as he signed items even as he was leaving. Also saw Bucky Currington, James Ottto. Tracy Bryd, Billy Currington and a few others. We try to meet the lessor known ones also, it is always to talk with them.
Saw Brandi Thornton in the "Acoustic Corner" and she signed a picture and took a picture with Aliene.
At lunch at the Merchants, a welcome respite from the heat and crowd. The crowd seems much larger this year.
Went to the "Big" concert at the football field and saw Montgomery Gentry, Jewel, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and Rascal Flatts.
Friday, June 6, 2008:
Went to the "Riverstage". Much less crowded than yesterday, but just too hot. Saw Neal McCoy, Mgan Mullins and Jeff Bates before escaping to the Convention Center.
Had a lot of fun in the Convention Center, getting pictures (Lorrie Morgan, Alan Jackson (sort of, the crowd was so big it was hard), Little Big Town.) I walked around a corner and told Aliene "that looks like Aaron Tippon("kiss this)". Sure enough, it was and we jumped in and got our picture with him and actually talked with him. He was extremely nice. Also got our picture with Bill Anderson, Riders of the Purple Sage and a few up and comers who aren't well known. Went to the acoustic corner and saw Tulluride, which was very pleasant. A lot of fun again!
Lunch at Merchants again.
Thursday June 5, 2008: Went to the River Stage. To hot and too many people (I'm not standing up in the hot sun for anyone!). Heard Jo Dee Messina but couldn't stand the heat!
Went to the Convention Center (exhibits, autographs etc.). Actually saw Randy Travis and almost got his autograph and a picture with him, but the line was too long. He was originally supposed to only stay for 20 minutes and he stayed much longer, so it was ok. He was good natured as he signed items even as he was leaving. Also saw Bucky Currington, James Ottto. Tracy Bryd, Billy Currington and a few others. We try to meet the lessor known ones also, it is always to talk with them.
Saw Brandi Thornton in the "Acoustic Corner" and she signed a picture and took a picture with Aliene.
At lunch at the Merchants, a welcome respite from the heat and crowd. The crowd seems much larger this year.
Went to the "Big" concert at the football field and saw Montgomery Gentry, Jewel, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and Rascal Flatts.
Friday, June 6, 2008:
Went to the "Riverstage". Much less crowded than yesterday, but just too hot. Saw Neal McCoy, Mgan Mullins and Jeff Bates before escaping to the Convention Center.
Had a lot of fun in the Convention Center, getting pictures (Lorrie Morgan, Alan Jackson (sort of, the crowd was so big it was hard), Little Big Town.) I walked around a corner and told Aliene "that looks like Aaron Tippon("kiss this)". Sure enough, it was and we jumped in and got our picture with him and actually talked with him. He was extremely nice. Also got our picture with Bill Anderson, Riders of the Purple Sage and a few up and comers who aren't well known. Went to the acoustic corner and saw Tulluride, which was very pleasant. A lot of fun again!
Lunch at Merchants again.
Big concert Friday night at football field was great on music, a little irritating on the trivial talk. We got very tired of seeing Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swith as presenters. Enjoy their singing but they just didn't have the experience to handle the presenting. They did an excellent job on singing Thursday night (Kellie Pickler wasn't as good as last year), but they are out of their league as presenters. Not their fault, they just shouldn't have been chosen for this.
Got really tired at the "are you having fun yet" and "get on your feet" comments all night, but it wasn't really that bad. We have seats where people standing aren't a problem.
Presenters included Jake Owen, Ashton Shepard, Jack Ingram, Lady Antebellium, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner and Faith Hill. All did an excellent job, Josh Turner and Faith Hill were just super, but all did a great job.
Due to the chit-chat and small talk and delays, (plus a desire to avoid the traffic and get back to the room, since it was 11:30 p.m.) didn't see the "special guest", Keith Urban who was the last to perform.
Tomorrow, a priority is to get the tickets for next year, hopefully the same seats!
A lot of fun today, after getting tickets for next year, which was a real ordeal (plus losing our seats we had this year). They need to change that.
I am keeping my record of this on Google Notebook and am finding out that Google is messing up my computer. So much for Google programs. I am having to rewrite Saturday's account since Google did not save it.
Went to the Convention Center after standing in the sun for 2 hours (and finding our seats we had this year sold due to the obsolete system they have here).
Really enjoyed the Convention Center this year. Took pictures of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Ronda Towns and others. Talked with Taylor Ware the "world champion yodeler" who I first saw perform at the Opry in 2005. (She must be around 12 years old), took a LOT of pictures I will post after I delete the bad ones!
Saturday night saw Craig Morgan, Little Big Town, Rodney Atkins, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Jason Michael Carroll, Jamey Johnson and Daryl Worley. Have to say Rodney Atkns and Alan Jackson did the best performances although I enjoyed all of them.
Sunday, June 8, 2008: Last day of festival. We went to the Convention Center one last time. Hear a performance by Timothy Craig (included a fiddle player).
Sunday night saw Charles Wicks, John Stephen, Phil Stacey, James Otto, Bucky Covington, Randy Travis, Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus and Dwight Yoakam. Randy Travis has always been a favorite signer of mine and this is the first time I have seen him perform. I wasn't disappointed.
So ends CMA Fest 2008. We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to next years! The heat and sun on the Riverstage is a continual problem I feel they should do something about (put in fans, tents, or something! Next year we plan on having a "Festival Book' of pictures and autographs. We aren't really "autograph hounds", but I would have liked to have had Aaron Tippon and Randy Travis autographs.
I am keeping my record of this on Google Notebook and am finding out that Google is messing up my computer. So much for Google programs. I am having to rewrite Saturday's account since Google did not save it.
Went to the Convention Center after standing in the sun for 2 hours (and finding our seats we had this year sold due to the obsolete system they have here).
Really enjoyed the Convention Center this year. Took pictures of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Ronda Towns and others. Talked with Taylor Ware the "world champion yodeler" who I first saw perform at the Opry in 2005. (She must be around 12 years old), took a LOT of pictures I will post after I delete the bad ones!
Saturday night saw Craig Morgan, Little Big Town, Rodney Atkins, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Jason Michael Carroll, Jamey Johnson and Daryl Worley. Have to say Rodney Atkns and Alan Jackson did the best performances although I enjoyed all of them.
Sunday, June 8, 2008: Last day of festival. We went to the Convention Center one last time. Hear a performance by Timothy Craig (included a fiddle player).
Sunday night saw Charles Wicks, John Stephen, Phil Stacey, James Otto, Bucky Covington, Randy Travis, Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus and Dwight Yoakam. Randy Travis has always been a favorite signer of mine and this is the first time I have seen him perform. I wasn't disappointed.
So ends CMA Fest 2008. We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to next years! The heat and sun on the Riverstage is a continual problem I feel they should do something about (put in fans, tents, or something! Next year we plan on having a "Festival Book' of pictures and autographs. We aren't really "autograph hounds", but I would have liked to have had Aaron Tippon and Randy Travis autographs.
One thing I really like about Nashville is stories similar to the story of Chuck Wicks. At the Convention Center I noticed there was a crowd around a man signing autographs named Chuck Wicks. I had never consciously heard of him so that night I was surprised to see him perform at the "Big Concert" . He mentioned that one year ago he had been up in the "cheap seats" and this year he was performing! (His breakthrough song is "Stealing Cinderella" ). I expect it is stories like that that keep a lot of aspiring singers, songwriters etc. coming to Nashville!
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