Thursday Morning: Fans Lining Up for Autographs at CMT Music Festival
Some 90 minutes before the Nashville Convention Center was set to open this morning for autograph sessions during the CMA Music Festival, the line was already rounding the corner of Commerce Street down Fifth Avenue across the street from the Ryman Auditorium. At least that's what I saw out of the corner of my eye while trying to drive past the horse-drawn carriage that hauls people around downtown Nashville at speeds up to two miles an hour. Simultaneously, I spotted a pickup truck turning around in heavy traffic after the driver realized a little too late that Fifth Avenue is a one-way street. By the way, for anybody from out of town who ever visits Nashville, our locals seem to be some of the worst drivers around. (Of course, everybody probably thinks the drivers in their hometown are the worst.) On the interstate highways around Nashville, driving is a competitive sport. On surface streets, Nashville drivers have a tendency to barrel through stop lights long after they've turned red. Ironically, everyone is incredibly polite at four-way stops -- insisting that you go through the intersection first after you've acknowledged that they legally have the right of way. So keep all of this in mind while you're visiting Nashville. We want you to have a great visit and get home safely. As for the throngs lined up in front of the Convention Center today, they'll be met by a long list of artists they've probably never heard of. On the other hand, the payoff will be getting an autograph and posing for photos with some major, major acts who will also be there. Among those scheduled to sign during Thursday's session are Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Naomi Judd, John Rich, Montgomery Gentry, John Michael Montgomery, Julianne Hough, Jack Ingram and Tommy Tutone. Tommy Tutone? The "867-5309" guy? I'm not sure what I think about that. Not that it matters.
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RedMaz says:
Cattle Call! Keep the line moving sheeple…
Timothy says:
It is so good to learn that people are polite even in the middle of what sounds like chaos.
Bill says:
Country music stars are up there with NASCAR and pro wrestlers for being autograph friendly.
Sandy says:
Sadly, not all people are polite. Try waiting in line for hours for autograph tickets, and then get trampled from people dashing from the back, knocking people over and even walking over them (literally, including children and wheelchairs getting knocked over) and you don’t even get in! It happens all too often. It happened to a friend who got in line at 3am for Reba. He didn’t get in even though he was way up front in the line for all those hours. I love CMA Fest and go every year but I will not stand in those lines until they get better security to control the stampede.
Sherry says:
If I could meet Carrie Underwood I would stand in line too. However, they do need to get things under control.
Holli says:
We lned up at 11:30 wed nght after the softball game and was about 100 people deep in line. But it was all worth it bc we got a ticket to meet Carrie.And that was the best thing in the world!
barb b says:
on the front page you people
removed carrie name why you
need to put it back it is not right
January says:
Gee whiz, and I thohugt this would be hard to find out.