CMT Blog: Archive

During the CMA Music Festival, I crashed five fan club parties and I was pleased to discover a chilled-out country star at each and every one. None of the singers seemed in any hurry to get off the stage, and in a few cases, they played a couple of new songs that nobody else has heard yet. To a fan, that's a golden opportunity and worth the price of a fan club membership. That, and a rare chance to get a photo with your favorite artist.

I realize that Josh Turner is always a laid-back guy but he also attracts an easygoing audience, too (see photos). They liked his jokes (even though he confessed that they weren't very funny) and appreciated a chance to catch up on his family and fellow band members. Earlier in the week, Gary Allan (see photos) and Sara Evans (see photos) sprinkled new songs into their set and spent almost as much time conversing with the crowd as they did performing music. Plus they added a charity component to the festivities, bringing money and attention to their favorite causes.

Joe Nichols didn't have to apologize for his sense of humor - that guy is hilarious. I didn't realize he was living in East Texas now. He said that since he got married, all kinds of things are disappearing from his house. (At this event, his wife strongly encouraged him to give away his favorite T-shirt to a fan that's seen 100 shows.) He also unearthed some new material, which I think his fans will certainly find worth the wait. Meanwhile, Little Big Town (see photos) told their fans that they're starting to write for a new record so it will probably be a while until you hear new music from them. Oh well, only 51 more weeks until CMA Fest 2010.