CMA Fest-My Full Take

Last year I decided that whether I was living in Nashville at this time or not, I was going to experience the CMA Music Festival and got me a four day pass. Well, I am living here and life got busy...so I decided I'd have to skip one day to work and sleep in between.

I did not realize that the artists perform at the festival free and proceeds are donated toward education. That is a great thing. That said and acknowledged, I must say after my initial experience that while the music's been great, there were a few things that disappointed me. Unfortunately, you have to for the most part make a choice between catching the great shows out at Riverfront Park or going through the autograph lines to meet artists at the exhibit halls. This is not as easy as it looks on TV. To do this, you have to stand in line for an hour very early in the morning to get through the doors of the convention center. Then once you are inside, you have to wait another hour for the exhibit doors to open up and snatch up tickets for autograph lines. If you don't have a ticket, it's difficult to get a place in line. It was also true for some non-ticketed signings. I was turned away in at least three places where lines were smaller, sometimes rudely (but it didn't stop me from taking a picture). At some booths, it was hard to figure out just where the line was because fans were standing in one spot and people were holding ropes somewhere else...so then you get accused of line-cutting. I did make it through to Jamie O'Neal, one artist I most wanted to hear at CMA. It would have been a shame to miss the chance to offer her a word of support just because I also wanted to hear her show.

Once I got to LP Field the first evening, I wondered if I'd ever get to my seat. I had a seat at the club level and there was no clear signage inside on how to get up there. I asked no less than five staff event people how to get there and not a one could answer my question. My thanks to the young lady who worked at the gift shop who gave me the proper directions. And yes, I found the outside club entrance for the next evening. All the concerts I went to were great, even though the sound quality varied at times. My personal favorite of the acts on the big stage: Big and Rich.

With one day under my belt, I had a few things figured out for the next couple of days--like how to get back toward downtown when leaving the concert because you can't get out the way you came in (I almost feared I'd be pushed onto the freeway, which would have struck terror in my heart at 11:30 pm). And, one thing most of us realized--drink LOTS of water and have plenty of dollar bills to buy it, because you can't take it with you.

If you go and are spending time at the convention center, take in the acoustic stage and you'll hear some very fine acts who deserve your attention, like Rachel Williams, who I caught on Thursday. While roaming the exhibit hall floor, I also sought out artists who didn't have long lines, to give them a word of encouragement. I met Roni Stoneman of the well-respected musical Stoneman Family, the awesome bluegrass family act Cherryholmes, and a lovely gentleman named Will Clements. Unfortunately, his acoustic set was scheduled when I couldn't make it...but I will certainly remember him and check out his music sometime.

The sun was a little too intense for me to spend any long period of time at the Riverfront Park over the weekend, so I decided to shell out and take in two shows which were going on at the Ryman: the Grand Ole Opry matinee on Saturday and Sunday Mornin' Country. They were both great shows and a welcome respite from the exhibit hall madness. Saturday's Opry Matinee was not broadcast so no ads in between...I kinda missed the Martha White Flour theme. "Sunday Mornin' Country" was a gospel concert featuring a mix of artists from Connie Smith to Chris Young and a host of others known in the country gospel circles. Connie Smith did a brief signing after the show. She is a stunningly beautiful woman.

I thought my biggest fear I mentioned earlier might happen on Sunday when I asked one policeman how to get back to downtown after the show (since they blocked the street I came in toward downtown on Saturday --I got a little creative and found an alternate route. I wasn't completely sure how I pulled it off). This cop said I had no choice but to go on to the freeway. It's not bad, he says, just get off the first exit to downtown. Hmm...didn't look that easy to me on a map. So, I got a second opinion from another policeman and he told me to go the way that I figured out last night. I did, and aside from a brief wrong turn, it worked. That's why the BellSouth building with the two antenna things is my favorite one in downtown Nashville. It's anchored me many a time when I wasn't sure where I was going. So nice try, cop #1, but freeway, schmeeway.

A few other random observations:
- Nicest artists I did meet over the course of the weekend: Bill Anderson (who gets my top vote. I told him I moved here from St. Paul and he keyed right into it with quips about the winters and the St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace), Ralph Emery, Brad Cotter, Con Hunley, Kassie DePaiva of One Life To Live (getting a country music career going), Jason Meadows, a young lady named Joanna Smith and the aforementioned Roni Stoneman, Rachel Williams and Will Clements. They were the ones to take time to do more than sign and push you through, and acknowledge you when you gave them an encouraging word. For the record, I only went through lines that were manageable, so I'm not comparing to, say, a Carrie Underwood type line that went on for hours, where you understandably couldn't expect any response.

- Some of the staff managing the lines could be more organized and a little less heavy-handed. I went to one fellow's booth to try to hear some of his CD samples and got a steady eagle eye kept on me from someone working the Nashville Star booth next to him where the Hacker siblings were signing...she was making sure I wasn't going to jump in and cut that line, I guess. Sheesh.

Despite the fact that the music was great, would I do CMA fest again next year? Right now I'd have to say no. I'm just not cut out for all the driving hassles, lines, lack of rest, lack of healthier food fare and needed endurance. I think I'll watch it all on TV instead and stick to the smaller gigs.