Digital Rodeo

After four days of rank humidity and righteous country performances, the CMA Music Festival reached its appropriate finale Sunday night as Dwight Yoakam delivered a languid version of Buck Owens’ "Close Up The Honky Tonks" at Nashville’s LP Field, the last in a series of stadium shows that started in a pop vein and gradually moved toward a more traditional bent.

Dwight’s appearance, his first at the event in 20 years, featured Bakersfield-inspired raucous rhythms and flashy solos as he wielded truncated versions of his own hits plus covers of Buck, Johnny Cash and even the Lovin’ Spoonful, whose "Nashville Cats" is a celebration of Music City’s abundance of players.

Dwight was not the only act returning after a long absence. Randy Travis hit the CMA stage Sunday for the first time in a decade, his reedy voice backed by the most prominent fiddle and steel guitar to grace the stadium during the entire proceedings.

Faith Hill likewise made her first appearance in a decade Friday night, her only concert of 2008. Faith sang six songs, infusing early hits "Wild One" and "Piece Of My Heart" with updated arena-rock settings.

That evening also included a surprise appearance by Keith Urban who — because he’s scheduled to play the same venue in a scant four weeks — was not allowed to promote the CMA date. Keith reflected the gratefulness of many of his colleagues in noting a heavy turnout despite the nation’s first go-round with $4-a-gallon gas.

"We’re gonna give you a show worth $6- or $7-a-gallon," he promised, "so you’re makin’ money right here."

Outside of Keith’s set and the opening-night performance by Rascal Flatts, the LP Field shows had few additional surprises. Kenny Rogers was picked to close Saturday’s set, rather than Alan Jackson, a stunning move, given that the CMA — and the country industry in general — has made a specific effort to gear its product toward younger buyers.

Even Kenny likely saw the irony after kicking off his 10-song stint with the 40-year-old "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)."

"Not 50 percent of you were born when that song was a hit," he told his audience.

One other surprise came when Billy Ray Cyrus brought out his daughter to back him on "Get Ready, Get Set, Don’t Go." But the daughter in question was not vocalist Miley Cyrus; instead it was guitar-playing daughter Brandi.

More than 30 acts — including Josh Turner, Sara Evans, Bucky Covington, Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift — took part in the nightly concerts, which were filmed for a September ABC special. Along with the artists who played daytime shows at several downtown stages, the performers played for free, raising money for Nashville music education and showing their appreciation to fans who drive from around the country and fly from as far away as Australia to take in a huge sample of the genre.

"I wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for you," Billy Ray Cyrus told the audience Sunday night.

For the next 51 weeks, most of country’s acts will reverse roles, travelling far and wide to play for the paying masses in their hometowns. That is until June 2009, when they’ll sleep in their beds for another short week while the fans come to see them at the next CMA Music Festival.

Dwight Yoakam Closes Up CMA Honky Tonk

Leave a Comment

Search

Categories