CMA Fest 2025 Day 3 in Nashville: Greatest Moments

Carter received the veteran slot to open the present, and he or she didn’t disappoint. There have to be a photograph of Carter growing older in a closet someplace as a result of she seems to be precisely the identical — and sounded precisely the identical — as she did when the burst on the scene within the ’90s. She set the upbeat temper for the night with the colourful “If That is Love,” earlier than segueing into her basic, humorous, trad nation music, “I Shaved My Legs for This,” which she shared she wrote in her kitchen. It’s just a little onerous to consider the Matraca Berg-penned “Strawberry Wine,” which landed on Billboard’s 100 Best Country Songs of All Time checklist final month, is almost 30 years previous as a result of it sounded as contemporary as all the time as Carter’s set nearer.

“Two years in the past, we watched the present from the VIP part, so it’s so wonderful to be on stage this time,” Pink Clay Strays’ lead singer Brandon Coleman enthused shortly after the Alabama group began its set. The reigning ACM Award new duo or group winner shortly proved it had earned its spot with a decent six-song set that blended nation and southern rock on such songs because the swaying “Questioning Why,” which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Scorching 100 chart. Whereas Coleman joked, “We present up at these enjoyable seashore festivals and play these unhappy songs that make everyone cry,” the band’s robust guitar riffs obliterate any potential unhappiness, particularly on “No One Else Like Me,” the place the band broke right into a jam that may have made the Allman Brothers proud.

No, spouse Gwen Stefani didn’t be a part of Shelton for his brisk six-song set. As an alternative, he shared it with somebody he knew lengthy earlier than the No Doubt lead singer got here into his life. After opening along with his legal forum hit, the finger-snapping “Texas,” he moved into “Keep Nation or Die Tryin,’” which has the identical swamping, minor-key really feel as “God’s Nation.” Each tracks are from his new album, For Leisure Use Solely, however then he took the viewers means again to 1 / 4 of a century in the past: “I had a mullet. I used to be skinny and I launched this music and received to play my very first CMA Fest,” earlier than segueing into “Austin,” his first hit from 2001. 

Shelton stored the main target squarely on the previous as he broke into the cheeky 2005 Hint Adkins’ smash “Honkytonk Badonkadonk,” after which welcomed Adkins to the stage as the 2 buddies, clearly taking enjoyment of one another, completed the hit collectively. However they weren’t accomplished. Adkins and his echoing baritone hung for the remainder of Shelton’s set, which included their two collaborations, “Hell Proper” and “Hillbilly Bone.” It was a match made in CMA Fest heaven and the truest definition of Bro Nation.  

The emo cowgirl proved she is prepared for the bigtime, holding down the stage with the boldness of artists twice her age and proving she has turn out to be a legit headliner. She labored a theme — wearing a silver sparkly mini costume with fringe, singing into an identical mic and enjoying a equally bejeweled silver guitar. Only some years  into her profession — she remarked that this was the fourth CMA Fest she has performed, beginning on the Highlight Stage on the Music Metropolis Heart — Moroney shined all through her five-song set, full of songs that was singalongs from the poppy “Man on the Moon” to “No Caller ID,” “Am I Okay” (throughout which she descended the stair onto a catwalk to mingle with the cheering viewers) and the music that began all of it for her, “Tennessee Orange.” She made the latter a household affair, bringing out her brother Brian, who’s “the good legal professional I do know,” she acknowledged, to accompany her on guitar and backing vocals.

Ever since he broke via eight years in the past along with his first Nation Airplay chart-topper, the profitable “Singles You Up,” Davis has traveled a stable lane delivering songs that commemorate love, pleasure in a household and onerous work, and he confirmed once more final evening in an environment friendly, high-energy seven-song set simply how properly he accomplishes that objective. He does it so properly with songs like “Purchase Filth,” which received CMA music of the 12 months honors in 2022 (Sadly, his collaborator on the music, Luke Bryan, didn’t make a shock look, however he might be closing out the pageant tonight), in addition to on newer hits like “I Ain’t Sayin,’” the stunning “Subsequent Factor You Know” and new single “Bar None.”

When Rascal Flatts went on hiatus 5 years in the past due to the pandemic and inner points, it was unclear they’d ever return to the stage, however right here they have been, closing out Saturday evening’s present and celebrating their twenty fifth anniversary as if no time had handed in any respect. Additionally they had some firm, bringing out Carly Pearce for a hovering model of the heartfelt, supportive “I Want.” Pearce, who has posted on social media about her points with vocal pressure confirmed no signal of issue final evening, hitting and sustaining notes as she and Gary LeVox wrapped their voices round one another. (Their pairing seems on Life is a Freeway: Refueled Duets, a brand new album launched June 6 that celebrates the band’s twenty fifth anniversary). They closed their set — and the night — with a strong, spirited model of “Life Is a Freeway” as followers spilled out into the evening after practically 5 hours of music.