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Keith Urban Brings Out Michael McDonald to Perform “We Go Back” at CMA Fest
Keith Urban had a special surprise for everyone at night two of CMA Fest. During his set at Nissan Stadium, Urban got fans on their feet by welcoming out Michael McDonald to perform their duet together.
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The Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers alum joined Urban on stage to sing “We Go Back,” their recently released collaboration. The track will appear on Urban’s forthcoming yacht rock album, Flow State, which is due out June 12.
Fans were clearly into the performance, cheering throughout the men’s entire time on stage, which ended with a sweet hug between the pair.
Before Urban took the stage, he told Lara Spencer—the ABC personality who’s co-hosting the upcoming CMA Fest TV special alongside Riley Green—about his next LP.
The project has several collaborations, including one with John Mayer, another with Little Big Town, and the track with McDonald.
“The songs just told me who I should call,” Urban said of the collabs, further noting that, for “We Go Back, “Michael was it for that song.”
As for why Urban shifted his focus to yacht rock, he explained, “It’s inclusive. It’s a big exhale. It brings everybody together. We need that right now.”
“It was not expected,” he admitted. “We were just having fun playing music. Two songs became three, became five, and then over three or four months we ended up making a whole album. I was just as surprised as anybody.”
What to Know About Night Two at CMA Fest
McDonald wasn’t the only surprise guest of the night. Opener Jo Dee Messina brought out Lauren Daigle to perform “Who Else.” Additionally, headliner Cody Johnson welcomed out Brothers Osborne to sing their collab, “Fool Proof.”
Outside of special guests, the night featured performances from previously announced artists including Blake Shelton, Scott Teasley, Shaboozey, and Maggie Antone.
Additionally, The Red Clay Strays returned to Nissan Stadium for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, The Band Perry delighted the crowd with a performance of their signature song “If I Die Young,” and one of their new track, “Psychological.”
Urban closed out his 30-minute set by performing an off-the-cuff cover of “Sweet Home Alabama” after an audience member revealed they were from the state.
Johnson ended the night’s performances with awe in eyes that everyone stuck around after midnight to see him take the stage. He concluded his time on stage with a performance of “‘Til You Can’t.”
Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
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