CMA Fest has no shortage of must-see shows scattered around downtown Nashville, but if you’re looking for the biggest names in the genre, you have to go to Nissan Stadium. The stadium line-up boasts powerhouse acts each night of the fest. Night one of this year’s CMA Fest (June 8) featured the likes of Jo Dee Messina, Luke Combs, Tyler Hubbard, and more.
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If you weren’t able to be in attendance, don’t worry. We’re recapping the night, detailing all of our favorite moments from each of the country stars’ sets.
Jo Dee Messina opened the night with a bang, debuting new music alongside her old staples. Messina leaned into her faith during her set, bringing out Christian artist Ben Fuller for a duet. Messina previewed a new song, saying it offers her a reminder of “How much you need Jesus.”
The duet—which she promised will be out soon—pushed a light out over the stadium. Messina and Fuller lifted their voices to the sky with the joyful refrain: He’s got a hold on me, Jesus. Messina followed up the duet with her signature track, “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” No surprise to anyone, the performance of the 1996 hit got the crowd on their feet and screaming the lyrics back to Messina at full force.
Next up was Jordan Davis. The CMA Fest first-timer was a surprise standout of the night. As soon as he stepped on stage, he descended the stairs and got face to face with the crowd – keeping with the fan-focused sentiment of the fest. He opened his set with his latest No. 1, “What My World Spins Around.” The 2022 hit has clearly not lost any of its sway with country music fans, given how rapt they were at the opening number.
Davis was the first of many artists in the night to look back on the journey that earned him a spot playing on the biggest stage at CMA Fest. “Now I’m standing on the end zone at Nissan Stadium!” he said after thanking the crowd for their support over the years.
Davis was followed by Luke Combs. Given that Combs has 15 No. 1 hits, he had no trouble keeping the crowd enticed from the beginning of his set to the end, playing a few of those hits throughout his set. Namely “The Kind of Love We Make” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart”—the latter of which took the energy level of the stadium sky high. It was arguably the peak of the night in terms of sheer sound decibels.
You can’t go wrong with Combs’ discography, but the highlight from his set was undoubtedly a surprise duet with Vince Gill. Combs brought out the country icon for a duet of his 1992 hit, “One More Last Chance.” Gill flexed his guitar chops while Combs made quick work of the winding melody.
Next, Carly Pearce swapped the high-energy bangers that her fellow performers were making use of for poignant ballads and powerful break-up odes. Before she got into the slow jams though, Pearce opened her set with the seething “Diamondback” from her album, 29: Written in Stone, and the similarly paced “Easy Going.” Both songs amped up the audience before Pearce got into the nitty gritty – meaning her forlorn duet with Ashley McBryde “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” and her own “What He Didn’t Do.”
Like Combs, Pearce also brought out a special guest. She brought Messina back to the stage for an attitude-filled rendition of Messina’s 1998 track, “I’m Alright.” One special thing about CMA Fest is the chance to see legendary acts collaborate with the next generation of country stars. This duet was nothing short of stellar.
In between Pearce and Tyler Hubbard, Darius Rucker came out for a mini-set out in the crowd. He performed his latest release, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” and, of course, “Wagon Wheel.” Rucker never disappoints an audience. He earned some of the biggest responses from the crowd with only an acoustic guitar and minimal production backing him up.
Hubbard was the penultimate act of the night. The former Florida Georgia Line member ushered in summer with a host of buoyant, carefree tunes.
He opened the set with “Tough” from his debut solo album. Elsewhere he played his first solo No. 1 hit, “5 Foot 9.” Hubbard kept largely the same tempo throughout the whole night with wiry guitar lines and pounding drums. But, when you go to a Hubbard concert, what more do you want besides the high points of his anthemic catalog? The hits are hits for a reason.
Dan + Shay closed out the night with a setlist full of fan favorites. The pair entered the stage after a swell of dramatic synths to perform their collaborative track with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours.” The Biebs was not in attendance, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind much. They more than made up for any missing vocal lines by singing along with the duo.
The entire set was a partnership between the crowd and Dan + Shay. The audience didn’t miss one word while singing along to songs like “Nothing Like You” and “Tequila.” It was truly a celebration of the high points of their career leading up to their headlining slot at the fest.
The show was full of country hits from start to finish – and it was just the first night of the fest! Stay tuned for more coverage of CMA Fest and all the top artists taking on the stage at Nissan Stadium.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
