The temperature was hot and so was the entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee for the second day of the CMA Music Festival 2008. The word hot can't begin to describe the temperature, but the entertainment consisted of Ashton Shepherd, Jack Ingram, Lady Antebellum, Kellie Pickler, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Jake Owen, Faith Hill and the special, surprise guest was Keith Urban. Now, when you have a roster like this, there is no way you can go wrong.
As soon as the crowd started pouring into the LP Stadium, it was clear that they were ready to have a good time. It seemed the beer venders could not keep anything in stock, so if you enjoy watching people, this night would have been a blast even without the music.
Country music newcomer Ashton Shepherd graced the stage first. Although she is new, her debut album Sounds So Good became a fan favorite and her hit single "Takin' Off This Pain" has been heard on every radio across the country. When she belted out the first couple words to this tune, the crowd ate it up.
Country Rocker Jack Ingram was second to hit the stage. His reception was great. Although it was a long road for Jack to be played on country radio, he's become a fan favorite and it showed from the minute he started singing until the last chord of his final song. He only had about a fifteen minute set, so he started it off with his tune "Find My Way." The second song was "Wherever You Are" and the fans were loving it. Jack ended his song with "Love You."
Lady Antebellum was next. This hot new trio have been burning up country music radio since they first released their debut song "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." They give off a vibe that most stars can only dream of. There is no way anyone could have guessed they would shoot to the top so quickly, but once you have seen them perform live, it's obvious why they did.
Kellie Pickler came out and announced Miranda Lambert. Over the last few years, Miranda has been on fire. Her feisty persona and hell raising songs have defined who she is an artist. She announced that her sophomore album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend just went gold. The first song she performed was "Famous In A Small Town" and the audience roared. "Gunpowder and Lead" got a great response, but there wasn't one person in their seats when Miranda Lambert started "Kerosene."
Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift announced Carrie Underwood. Carrie was prepared for the heat. She came out in a bright orange tank top and white shorts. As soon as the music started for "All-American Girl," it was clear these fans were there to see Carrie Underwood. She also performed "Jesus Take The Wheel," "So Small." "Last Name," and "Before He Cheats." Her performance lasted about thirty minutes and when she left, the fans were screaming for more.
Josh Turner came out after Carrie and from start to finish, he performed his biggest hits. "Would You Go With Me" started off his set, and then came "Long Black Train." He wrapped it all up with "Firecracker."
Jake Owen got a great response when he came out and "Yee Haw" couldn't have sounded better. Jake Owen is an amazing artist and it's great to see him get such an awesome welcome.
Although Faith Hill has not been around for a while, she came out and was on fire. With a great band, she performed "Wild One," and "Mississippi Girl," but "The Way You Love Me" proved to be the fan favorite.
Keith Urban was the surprise guest and he was announced by Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler. He performed some of his biggest hits, but "You Look Good In My Shirt" received a huge applause. It just proves, you never know who may show up during the CMA Music Festival.
