This year's Nashville Star winner, Angela Hacker opened Saturday's show at the Coliseum. She sang a new song called "Emotionless." Then, she performed the same song she performed on original song night on Nashville Star, "Total Loss." This song helped her get signed to Warner Brothers.
Olympic Medalist and Pro-Wrestler Kurt Angle introduced Jo Dee Messina. She started her set with "My Give A Damn's Busted." Messina informed the crowd that she had just finished recording a new album. Though, Messina didn't have a release date for her new record, she wanted to sing a song from it anyway called "I'm Done." She performed "Bye Bye" which she made into an audience participation song. She turned it into a battle of the sexes. She told the women to remember every lie ever told to them, every promise ever broken, and every flower never received when they sing "Bye Bye love I'll catch you later". Messina decided to give the guys a fighting chance and whispered the same lyrics and held the mic out for the guys. She left the stage sing her latest single "Biker Chick." Jo Dee Messina is an excellent performer who is more than qualified to get the crowd excited and ready for the next act.
Actor, Writer, Dancing with the Stars contestant and Hannah Montana's dad, Billy Ray Cyrus made a return to music city for this year's CMA Festival. Billy Ray came on the stage with his own style of dress and dancing. He opened his set with "Could Have Been Me." Cyrus sang "Ready Set Don't Go" from his new album in stores July 24. He then took the opportunity to do the cover "Brown Eyed Girl." Billy Ray claims that he misses the music industry and performing songs like "Some Gave All." Of course Billy Ray couldn't end his performance without singing "Achy Breaky Heart."
The previously announced surprise guest Rascal Flats took the stage with "Fast Cars and Freedom." Joe Don did an amazing guitar solo introduction to "Stand." Then, they performed the song that has been performed at graduations all over the country "My Wish." At 9:25 they announced the release of their new album on 9/25 relating the current time to the song release date. They closed their set with "What Hurts the Most," and their version of "Life is a Highway."
LeAnn Rimes was the fifth performer of the night. She started her set with "Something's Gotta Give" and the Coyote Ugly theme "Can't Fight the Moonlight." The audience fell silent and sat still in their chairs as she performed "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way." Rimes also has a new album due out on her 25th birthday (August 25th). She sang her latest single "Nothing Better to Do." She closed with "Don't You Want Somebody to Love."
Josh Turner took the stage with "Way Down South" and his first single "Long Black Train" The crowd went crazy for his deep voice singing songs like "Would You Go With Me" and "Me and God." Of course Turner could not leave the stage without singing his first No. 1 song, "Your Man."
Seven year old Autumn and her dad Tony won Saturday night's autographed guitar, and got to introduce Martina McBride to the stage. McBride opened with "Independence Day" and "God Fearin' Women." She performed "How I Feel" and the Judy Garland song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," from the Wizard Of Oz. McBride brought on the stage Chance and Tracey Little, a couple from Kansas who lost their home to a tornado. She anounced that she had paid for them to fly to Nashville, and for them to enjoy the festival. She gifted them with a Silverado truck to drive them home. She then returned to her concert concluding a great night at the coliseum with "This One's for the Girls," "A Broken Wing," and "Anyway."
