Why are 2 brits at CMA fest, well we started listening to Country music around 10 years ago now and it all started from us visiting North America on holiday and hearing different country songs playing in bars or on the radio. Our first songs were ‘Friends in Low Places’ by Garth Brooks and ‘I love this bar’ by the one and only Toby Keith, this was the start of our love for Country music. I have played and talked about cowboys so much to my two brothers Steve and Stuart that they have finally given in and started listening to some country music and they even went to see Kip Moore a few months ago, see nagging does work!
Nashville is one of my favourite cites and CMA fest was on my bucket list, we arrived in Nashville 2 days before the official start of the festival and already there were several events taking place, our first event was held at the Marathon Music Works hosted by Pandora Country. We lined up from 5pm waiting for the doors to open at 6.30pm, hoping to be in the 1500 to get free admission, yeah we made it in! Kip Moore one of my favourite artists was playing and to make the night even better it was open bar all night, are you freaking kidding me right now, to say I was excited was an understatement! Kip and Tyler Farr rocked the house and we took full advantage of the open bar, what a great start to the festival. I was happy enough already I could go home now and feel like I had a great festival!
As newbie’s to the festival we were overwhelmed and sometimes a bit lost as to what was going on and where or if you need separate tickets for meet and greets etc. Each day the music starts around 10am and finishes up with the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium, 2 full days in and we were exhausted but you have to make the most of your time here. Highlights for us were of course Kip Moore, Eric Church, Tyler Farr, Sara Evans, Chris Young, CAM singing with Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Nitty Gitty Dirty Band singing Fishin’ in the dark and much more.
It was nearly 100 degrees in the sun some days and some afternoons we headed to the bars along ‘Broadway’ to enjoy the air-conditioning, you didn’t feel like you were missing out on the music because each Honky Tonk had a band playing our favourite country songs. At the end of the festival even though we were exhausted and needed a rest we were both sad that it had come to an end and it was time to leave Music City behind. Nashville is a fun city, great atmosphere, great people and the best country music.
Living in England you don’t walk into a bar at the weekend and hear Kip Moore, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks or any other country songs being played so to visit somewhere like Nashville where you get to hear all your tunes blows us away. Nashville will always be in our hearts and we will always return to this city. Now we just need to listen to some of the older traditional artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard and all the other greats that really set the bar high for all the new country artists. Thank you CMA fest we had a blast, our trip just seems to be getting better and better by each destination, now it’s time to hang up our cowboy boots and get out our hiking boots for the next few days.
