Backstage At CMA Music Fest

Country Countdown USA has been backstage at CMA Music Fest this weekend, talking with the stars as they prepare to play LP Field in Nashville.  We’ll present a few highlights, along with a few select photos!

How about a busy Keith Urban, who joined Taylor Swift and Tim McGraw Thursday night for their #1 hit Highway Don’t Care.  Then he returned Saturday to close out the night.  “I love it, and a night like tonight is beautiful, so I always love playing the CMA Fest.  I like creative ensembles, I like collaborating, I like working with people and seeing what comes from energies coming together because it’s always different, so I really just live for that.”

The new duo Florida Georgia Line brought their high energy show to the stage, complete with back-to-back #1 hits “Cruise” and “Get Your Shine On.” The guys “It’s kind of been a whirlwind, and it’s been a dream come true to play this stadium, definitely off the bucket list.  To see how much has happened this year is unreal.  Just proof we’ve got the best fans in the world.  Lotta support, so it’s just awesome.”

Hunter Hayes is country’s hot new star.  Lots of people are lining up to work with him.  He performed with Stevie Wonder at the ACM Awards.  He’s recorded with Brad Paisley.  And Friday night at CMA Fest, Hunter performed with Jason Mraz, who appears on Hunter’s new CD “Encore.”  Before the show, Hunter explained their collaboration: “For the love of music.  We actually met at the Grammys.  I introduced myself.  Hopefully I didn’t stutter too much because I am a huge fan.  We talked about writing in the future, but “Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me” had the vibe on it, and I was always curious to see what Jason would do with this, and I don’t know how it happened, but next thing I knew I had tracks in my inbox.  It was pretty cool, it gave me a totally new perspective on the song, new meaning now, and perfect for the encore, and lucky to get that started.”

 Carrie Underwood closed out CMA Fest on Sunday night.  “We’re the only genre of music that does anything like this for and with our fans.  I think it’s wonderful we can have all of us in one place at one time, doing what we do.  It’s great for people to make a weekend of it.  We tried to think how we can make this extra special.  We had so many things coming up anyway, like my tour exhibit at the Hall of Fame and a #1 party,  so to give them access to those things, and allow the fans to things fans normally aren’t part of was cool for us and hopefully for them too.”

More photos of the stars are on our PHOTO page.  Go there for Zac Brown Band, Luke Bryan, The Band Perry, and more

Category: NEWS