Fans lined the streets of Broadway in Nashville, Tenn. during the 50th annual CMA Fest for a chance to be in the intimate, first-come first-served audience at Spotify House for live performances from Hot Country’s top lineup.
Held June 8 through 11 at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red bar and live music venue, Spotify House featured four days of non-stop country music from 70 artists on the first floor main stage and rooftop Fresh Finds stage.
The CMA Fest 50th Spotlight Performances featured superstar Reba McEntire, Billy Currington, Kimberly Perry, and Craig Morgan. Surprise performers from Spotify House included Kelsea Ballerini and Megan Moroney.
The free event enticed fans to line up for hours before the doors opened at 11am each day to hear their favorite artists, including Brett Young, Sam Hunt, Dierks Bentley, Mickey Guyton, Lady A, and many more.
Day One Of Spotify House Featured A Pop-Up Performance From Kelsea Ballerini
Brett Young kicked off the first day of the event with his hit “Like I Loved You,” performing eight songs during his engaging 30-minute set. Young treated fans to a live performance of his new single “Dance With You” and closed out his performance with what he called his “guilty pleasure” track, “Stay Here Tonight.”
Thursday’s lineup included: Brett Young, Avery Anna, 49 Winchester, Ashley Cooke, Conner Smith, Warren Zeiders, Ingrid Andress, Chayce Beckham, Riley Green, Sam Hunt, Jordan Davis and Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley on Main stage as well as Mae Estes, Logan Crosby, Lauren Watkins, Sam Barber, Nolan Taylor, and Wyatt Flores on the Fresh Finds stage.
In addition to hearing the top country hits fans can find on Spotify’s Hot Country playlist, the audience was also treated to fun covers including Avery Anna putting her own spin on SZA’s “Kill Bill,” while Ashley Cooke covered Hilary Duff’s “Come Clean” and T-Pain’s “Buy U a Drank.”
The CMA Fest 50th Spotlight Performance featured Billy Currington, who asked the crowd, “Where’s all my rednecks at?” before launching into the 2006 hit “Good Directions,” which was co-written by Luke Bryan. Currington kept up the Throwback Thursday vibes with his 2005 hit “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” and his 2008 hit “People Are Crazy” before wrapping up his set with the crowd-pleaser “We Are Tonight.”
Kelsea Ballerini shocked fans with a quick pop-up show at Spotify House, where she performed “Penthouse” and “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too).”
Reba McEntire Surprised Fans With New Song During Day Two Of Spotify House
The crowd erupted at Ole Red when Reba McEntire took the stage for her CMA Fest 50th Spotlight Performance, dazzling the crowd with her infectious energy and timeless hits. She also surprised fans by singing her brand-new song “Seven Minutes in Heaven,” which will be released this fall. She kicked off her eight-song set with her first-ever number one hit “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” followed by her 1996 hit “The Fear of Being Alone.”
After performing her new single, McEntire went back in time with the hits “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” the theme song from her TV show Reba, “I’m a Survivor,” and “Is There Life Out There?” McEntire showcased the sassy side of her music with a medley of “Take It Back” and “Why Haven’t I Heard From You?’ before closing out her set with her career-defining hit “Fancy,” leaving the crowd wanting more.
Friday’s lineup included: Mackenzie Carpenter, Josh Ross, Ella Langley, Dalton Dover, Ian Munsick, Dierks Bentley, Chase Rice, Tenille Arts, Brian Kelley, Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley, and Chris Young on main stage as well as Graham Barham, Abbey Cone, Grant Gilbert, Halle Kearns, Harper Grace and Payton Smith on the Fresh Finds stage.
Dierks Bentley Also Performed
Dierks Bentley joked with the crowd about performing at Ole Red, saying “It’s a pretty good spot. It’s not Whiskey Row, but…” referencing his own bar on Broadway.
Bentley kicked off his set with his 22nd number hit single “Gold,” before taking fans on a ride with his hits “I Hold On,” “Burning Man,” “Gone,” and the raucous “Drunk on a Plane” before wrapping up with the laid-back hit “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go).”
Special moments from day two of Spotify House included John Pardi teasing a new Christmas song from his upcoming holiday album and a special, personalized fan moment with Brad Paisley.
Day Three Of Spotify House Featured A Surprise Performance By Turnpike Troubadours
Spotify’s stellar lineup continued to bring the heat to CMA Fest for day three of Spotify House at Ole Red, including performances from: Tanner Adell, Dylan Marlowe, Restless Road, Hailey Whitters, Colbie Caillat, Kameron Marlowe, Mickey Guyton, Luke Grimes, Danielle Bradbery, Ruston Kelly, Brothers Osborne, and Cheat Codes + Friends on Main stage as well as Haley Mae Campbell, David Unlayao, Rodell Duff, Meg McRee, Griffen Palmer, and Dipper on the Fresh Finds stage.
An uninvited guest momentarily stole the spotlight before Mickey Guyton took the stage. A bat flew through the crowd, which startled Guyton, who had never seen a bat before. ”Y’all, that f*cking bat,” she laughed as she walked on stage.
Guyton showcased her versatility by performing her own songs like “Lay It On Me” and “My Side of the Country,” while adding in covers like Patty Loveless’ “Blame It On Your Heart” and Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy.”
Highlights included the CMA Fest 50th Spotlight Performance from Craig Morgan as well as a surprise performance by Turnpike Troubadours. The day also featured new music from Colbie Caillat, who performed her brand-new single “Pretend” and from Kameron Marlowe, who sang “I Can Lie (The Truth Is).”
Cheat Codes closed out the night and were joined by Russell Dickerson, Matt Stell, MacKenzie Porter and Adam Doleac.
Spotify House Came To A Close With A Surprise Performance By Megan Moroney
The final day of Spotify’s jam-packed lineup at Ole Red during CMA Fest included Dylan Schneider, Lily Rose, Alana Springsteen, Mitchell Tenpenny, Kylie Morgan, and Lady A on Main stage as well as Matt Schuster, Shelby Darrall, Wyatt McCubbin, Angel White, Kasey Tyndall and Shaylen on the Fresh Finds stage.
Highlights included the CMA Fest 50th Spotlight Performance from Kimberly Perry as well as a surprise performance by Megan Moroney whose single, “Tennessee Orange” continues to dominate Spotify’s Hot Country playlist.
Additionally, Dylan Schneider received his first ever RIAA Gold certification as an artist for his 2017 single “How Does It Sound” while performing on stage.
Fans can listen to their favorites from the star-studded 2023 Spotify House event over on Spotify’s Hot Country playlist.
