CMA Fest 2013 – Nightly Concerts at LP Field – Recap: Miranda Lambert, Eric Church Impress

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This past week (June 6-9), fans from all over the world made the sojourning trip to Nashville for the annual CMA Music Festival. As part of the jam packed week, there were nightly concerts at LP Field. Everyone from Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert to Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan took to the summer stage to perform their latest and greatest hits, as well as surprise collaborations along the way. There was a nice jumble of various musical influences and something for every kind of Country music fan.

This year's event was my first experience (of many more to come). I was impressed with everyone and their unabashed nature with which they attacked their sets and interacted with the glowing fans.

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CMT Music Awards 2013 Review: Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line are fan favorites

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On Wednesday (June 5), Country music fans flocked to Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville for the CMT Music Awards. As the answer to MTV's Video Music Awards, the show was jam packed with dirty puns, jabs at fellow artists and other jokes that didn't quite land with the crowd. Throughout the two and a half hour broadcast, screaming fans rallied behind their favorite artists, as they took the stage to perform their latest hits.

I had the pleasure of attending (my first awards show ever), so I went into the experience not knowing what to expect. I have to admit, there was a certain high that permeated the crowd and left me rather drained afterwards. I had always wanted to attend one of these shows (I mean, who hasn't right?) to see exactly how it all goes down and to see if there were any interesting interactions between the superstars during commericials and off camera. While the media section was quite a distance from the celebrity seating, I did catch a few cool moments.

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‘Nashville’ Is Right: Country Music’s Ageism Is Sexist


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For those who don’t know by now, I am an avid watcher of
ABC’s ‘Nashville’. While it is rather sudsy at times, its relationship to
reality is what really interests and intrigues me, aided by its placing of
fiction right alongside fact in its construction. Well-known country stars
feature in cameos, and regular references are made to other artists and country
music staples like the CMA Awards, the Grand Ole Opry, the Bluebird Café and
the Ryman Auditorium. However, the drama that unfolds is entirely made-up, and
the characters do not resemble real people in any way – or do they?

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