Normally by the end of the CMA Music Festival, fans are exhausted and although it's about to end, everyone has accepted it and is ready to move on. Well that was not the case this year. On Sunday night, folks were wide awake and ready to party.
Chuck Wicks opened the evening as the first entertainer. His slot was only about ten minutes and was strictly an acoustic set. "Stealing Cinderella" was the song that everyone in the crowd was waiting for. The only problem was people were still getting to their seats, so I don't believe everyone had the pleasure of seeing this awesome new star perform.
For those of you that love American Idol, you have witnessed Bucky Covington grow tremendously since his "Idol" days. When he came out, the energy he let off was awesome. He started off with "A Different World." You can see he has so much fun performing. The grin across his face explains it all. A personal favorite has always been "It's Good To Be Us," and when the first note hit, he had my attention.
Another former American Idol finalist, Phil Stacey hit the stage for a short acoustic set. "If You Didn't Love Me" sounded awesome with only a couple guitars.
James Otto was the artist I was dying to see. Over the past few months, he has blown up the charts, and it's refreshing to see someone like him who has paid so many dues, finally make it. The response from the fans proved they had the same opinion as I did. "Just Got Started Lovin' You" has been such a hit on radio, but you could hear the fans scream for miles when this tune got started. If his little set is any indication of what a full show would be, I have got to see it.
Billy Ray Cyrus came out and it was obvious we were in for a show. He started off with some of his older hits such as "Could've Been Me" and "Words By Heart." The next song he performed during his set was a tune recorded for his situation with daughter Miley Cyrus, and "Ready, Set, Don't Go" received an overwhelming response. I think the audience was expecting Miley to be a special guest, but that was not the case.
For those of you who are fans of classic country, Randy Travis made a rare appearance on the finale of the CMA Music Festival. Throughout the years, it has been geared towards the more popular artists and the ones who have songs on the charts. Well, that was not the case with Randy Travis. The fans didn't need a current number one on the charts to give him a warm welcome. He performed hits like "Three Wooden Crosses" and "Forever and Ever, Amen" and even delivered his latest single "Faith In You," which is off of his new album Around The Bend.
Sara Evans rocked the venue when she hit the stage. Performing her hits "Suds In The Bucket" and "Born To Fly," Sara proved she was on top of the world.
The main act of the evening was Dwight Yoakam. Although there were some people in the audience leaving, most of the fans stayed for his amazing set. It was a full medley of hits that he's had over the past twenty years. Songs like "Little Sister," "Ain't That Lonely Yet," "Honky Tonk Man," and "Guitars, Cadillacs" were only the start.
It seemed the songs just kept coming until he started talking about Porter Wagoner and Buck Owens, and he dedicated his last song to all the stars who have passed away. That's when he went into the old Buck Owens tune "Close Up The Honky Tonks." By the time he was finished I had cold chills and it was still eighty degrees. What a great ending to such an eventful week.