Rascal Flatts announced what they meant to be their final tour in the months leading up to the pandemic – and then had to cancel it. The record-breaking country trio’s future was bleak. They were burnt out and needed a break from the music business and each other. Flatts was radio silent for years – then shocked fans when they announced a sold-out arena tour and a new collaboration album, Life Is a Highway Refueled, which was released on Friday.
Saturday night, members Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney, and Jay DeMarcus celebrated their revival when they headlined Nissan Stadium at CMA Fest in front of roughly 60,000 country music fans.
In addition to Rascal Flatts, other artists on the lineup included Blake Shelton, Jordan Davis, Megan Moroney, Red Clay Strays, Carly Pearce, and Deana Carter. If you didn’t make it, here are three things you missed.
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Rascal Flatts with Carly Pearce
Pearce joins Rascal Flatts for their hit “My Wish” on Life Is a Highway Refueled. The artists brought the collaboration to life on stage Saturday night at CMA Fest. Pearce sounded better than ever on the song—and Flatts are entertaining with a gratitude and fervor that indicates the men weren’t sure they’d ever be back on top, either.
But they are.
Flatts opened their set with a lively “Yours If You Want It.” LeVox’s voice remains one of the most distinct, reliable, and dexterous in the genre. And with more than 20 years of hit songs and experience to their credit, the men made the most of their time on stage. They delivered hit after hit, including “Fast Cars and Freedom,” new song “I Dare You,” “What Hurts the Most,” and “Life is a Highway.”
LeVox traded lines with the audience on “What Hurts the Most,” and people knew every word.
Rascal Flatts might have been gone from the scene for a while, but country music fans were inarguably thrilled to have them back.
Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
Blake Shelton’s favorite way to tour is with his friends in tow. So, it should have been no surprise when he split his Nissan Stadium set with longtime friend Trace Adkins.
Shelton slayed the CMA Fest crowd with his recent No. 1 single, “Texas,” new song “Stay Country or Die Tryin’,” and then took fans back to the beginning with “Austin.” He ceded the mic to Adkins for his “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” then joined Adkins for their hits “Hell Right” and “Hillbilly Bone.” While the audience was multi-generational, fans knew every song and screamed the words, even if they were born before it was released.
Shelton was responsible for expanding country music beyond its existing boundaries into pop culture through his wildly popular coaching stint on The Voice. But all you have to do is watch him sing on stage to know where his heart lives – and it’s not in a Hollywood studio.
Megan Moroney and Her Brother at CMA Fest
Megan Moroney said her brother taught her to play guitar when they were kids. He was there when she couldn’t afford a band. He played guitar for her when she performed on CMA Fest’s Spotlight Stage and Platform Stage in recent years. So, she said, it was only fitting she invited him out to play the festival’s biggest stage – Nissan Stadium.
Moroney and her brother thrilled the Nissan Stadium audience with her breakthrough chart-topper “Tennessee Orange.” Moroney, clad in cowboy boots and silver fringe, told fans she was celebrating Saturday night because she had just received word that her current radio single, “Am I Okay?,” had just become her next No. 1 song. Fans jumped up and down and screamed the lyrics along with Moroney as she sashayed across the stage.
Moroney opened her set with “Man on the Moon,” twisting and twirling across the stage. She followed with “Indifferent,” letting fans sing along, and fans pulled out their cell phones to record “No Caller ID.”
Be sure to tune-in to CMAfest presented by SoFi on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC to relive your favorite performances!
(Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images)
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