CMA recap: Dierks Bentley, with a nod to the past, closes out the 49th CMA Fest

After a two-year hiatus, the CMA Music Festival drew thousands of country music fans and they wasted no time getting right back to business.

The Tennessean was on the ground all weekend. Read on for highlights from inside Nissan Stadium, at the Riverfront Stage and more.

Highlights: CMA Fest's third day delivered these unforgettable moments

Dierks Bentley celebrates four decades of chart-topping country excellence

The 2003-released "What Was I Thinking's" bluegrass banjos and rock guitar licks welcomed Dierks Bentley to the stage for the 49th CMA Fest's final headlining set of the weekend.

The stadium event's co-host featured Billy Ray Cyrus on a cover of the latter's three-decade-old, platinum-selling single. Fans met 90s country's pop-cultural moment being feted with joyous revelry -- and a fair bit of pre-TikTok-era line dance-style party steps from the throng in attendance.

The August 3 CMA Fest ABC special host then noted that he drove the 28-year-old truck he owned when he arrived in Nashville in 1994 to Nissan Stadium to play at the festival. This banter logically led to a spirited and crowd assistance-aided "I Hold On."

The tail end of his set included a duet cover of The Charlie Daniels Band's "Devil Went Down To Georgia" with TV event co-host Elle King, followed by their newly released duet "Worth A Shot." Then, following a successful marriage proposal n the front row, he launched into his 2012-released rocker, "5-1-5-0," to close the night.

Dierks Bentley has nearly 20 country radio No. 1 singles that feature drums and every manner of guitar and guitar-style instrument. Notably, in an era where country music has graciously embraced every sonic and social inspiration, it is notable to hear the genre celebrate its hard rock core on its most celebrated commercial stage.

Yet, for as much as country music welcomes difference, it will honor the best of what it was and what it is before it embraces and evolves into what it is to become.

Old Dominion deliver jam-band country entertainment

Old Dominion recently played Nissan Stadium as an opener for Kenny Chesney. It's playing with the perennial country chart-topper that informs their ability to craft hook-driven hits like their 2019-released CMA Fest set opener "Make It Sweet."

"Nights like this are what country music is made for" screamed the band's lead vocalist Matthew Ramsey prior to launching into the five-year-old countrified soul groove "No Such Thing as a Broken Heart."

Old Dominion's subtle evolution from country rockers to a heavyweight jam band has become stronger in recent years. Their 2021 album title track "Time, Tequila and Therapy" offers "no hard feelings and no bad vibes," and locks into very particular energy directly between Chesney and Bobby McFerrin 1989 hit "Don't Worry Be Happy"-style vibes -- in the most crowd-moving and enjoyable way possible.

"Song For Another Time" is well regarded in Old Dominion fan circles as a tune comprised of lyrics that are actually 20 other song titles. The skill in taking the irony out of a song written with such a peculiar level of high-grade music adoration is hard. However, as previously noted, the group's hard embrace of being down with earnest fun allows for performances like these to honestly connect.

Prior to closing their set, Ramsey noted that Old Dominion was a late addition, replacing Alan Jackson -- who was a last-second lineup scratch. Then, in a kind gesture, the band performed a cover of his 30-year-old classic, "Chattahoochee." As one would expect, it was met with hollering, whooping, and a boogie-woogie party in the Nissan Stadium floor seats.

Gary Glitter's four-decade-old "Rock and Roll (Part II)" as a lead into "I Was On A Boat That Day" is unlikely but comes from the two songs sharing similar bass drum kicks. However, as a lead-in to their finale -- one of CMA Fest 2022's expected, epic sing-alongs, it made sense. Nearly 70,000 country music fans have been "drunk as a skunk eating lunch with a cross-eyed bear" and were proud to proclaim this fact at extraordinary decibels.

Elle King's arrival as a country star gets an assist from Ashley McBryde

Elle King's adaptation of her brash demeanor and 70s rock-star attitude to modern country music is the most delightful, yet unlikely peanut butter and banana-style combination in country music since the last sandwich Elvis Presley ever ate.

"Drunk (And I Wanna Go Home)" features Miranda Lambert, but as a solo King performance, it hits like a harder-edged 80s country-rock anthem. Its excellence in that realm was apparent at Nissan Stadium. This performance was followed by Ashley McBryde joining a banjo-picking King for her 2015 breakout hit "Ex's And Oh's" it was much more the final part of King being officially claimed as a country-first artist than it was anything else.

"Country's where it's at," King noted to The Tennessean on Saturday evening. The country music industry agrees with the Ohio native's statement.

Following King, Parker McCollum took the stage. The "Gold Chain Cowboy's" rise from Conroe, Texas, to being the Academy of Country Music's Best New Artist of the Year in 2022 was unexpected. However, in the singles "Pretty Heart" and "To Be Loved By You" being directly impacted by him being a recently married man,  the 29-year-old vocalist has found a way for his lovestruck anthems to resonate more directly.

Russell Dickerson told The Tennessean he was excited to host "the largest RD Party yet" at Nissan Stadium. Fellow Nashville crooner Jake Scott joined Dickerson for "She Likes It," his hit 2021 single. For as much as his single "Love You Like I Used To" is a well-written and performed ballad when Dickerson sings, "When I go get groceries, and I bring back flowers / And I rub her back for like half an hour" in the former song, he's clearly in his artistic wheelhouse. His glee in being there gives fans vibes similar to Luke Bryan, and the "country girls" in attendance love it, as expected.

Lady A deliver new song, crowd-rousing excellence

Hillary Scott's renowned lead vocal kicked off Lady A's 2014 single "Bartender" at the start of their Nissan Stadium set. Sunday n, the crowd -- as opposed to the other three nights -- arrived ready for a singing and dancing party. Scott's sultry, soulful performance got the venue's highly packed lower bowl and field levels to their feet.

"We Own The Night" followed the opener. At Charles Kelley's urging, the crowd waved their hands in time with the chorus. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was met with Kelley noting, after a stirring performance, "we had to have one tender moment, tonight." Ironically, the band followed with the emotive ballad "What A Song Can Do," their latest album's title track (which advises that songs can inspire "starting a band" or "kissing a girl"). Many in the crowd held their flashlight-lit cell phones up in the air in appreciation.

Lady A wrote their new single "Summer State of Mind" mere months ago. They told The Tennessean they wanted to get a jump on viral popularity by releasing it without an album. "You're the ice; I'm the Yeti," they sang.

Two months ago, Charles Kelley appeared at BRELAND's "Breland and Friends" event at the Ryman Auditorium. During their mini-set, their duet on Lady A's signature power-pop ballad "Need You Now" was an unlikely, almost show-stealer. During Nissan Stadium's fourth night, the tandem reprised the duet, but BRELAND joined Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood onstage.

In exclusive news, Lady A noted they have a collaboration with BRELAND planned for an album BRELAND says is coming "in the fall," they told The Tennessean in a press room interview.

Hillary Scott's been at it as a top-tier vocalist in Nashville for two decades. Hearing her work -- alongside the stellar work horn section -- on tracks like reggae-tinged "Champagne," raucous party elevator "You Look Good," and the previously-mentioned "Need You Now" really highlighted the breadth of her talent.

It was one of the weekend's most comprehensively excellent outings as a start-to-finish performance.

Sara Evans kicks off a dance party at Nissan Stadium

8:30 p.m.: Sara Evans took the stage to a trilling organ and tambourines playing chords from Joe Cocker's "With A Little Help From My Friends." For any other artist, this would be audacious. However, Sara Evans is inarguable country music royalty.

Her live band kicked into her 2005 hit "A Real Fine Place to Start." It was readily apparent that her legendary voice was still more than capable of delivering a dynamic, entertaining performance.

"My vocal cords are like leather because my parents raised me and trained me like one of those tennis prodigies," Evans told The Tennessean before hitting the stage. But, similar to what Randy Houser noted on Saturday night, whether she's in front of 30 or 30,000 people, her voice is still a soulful siren in either situation.

As she broke into her decade-old heartbreak survival anthem, "A Little Bit Stronger," she held her hands out to the crowd as if offering them a hug. From a less experienced artist, the temerity to believe that you could heal 70,000 hearts with two hands is a lot. But as Evans offered in her interview, she developed her skill by listening to artists, including Mariah Carey.

The level of soul diva self-assurance that comes from knowing that you can harness and weaponize vocal power to overwhelm an audience emotionally is rare in both country and R & B's modern age. However, in 90s and 2000s pop and country, this skill was far more commonplace. The moment served as a reminder of the timeless importance of watching great artists perform their craft in a superstar manner.

Evans settled the evening into a party-ready groove upon launching into her final performance -- the two-decade-old No. 1 hit "Suds In The Bucket." The song's fiddle and guitar-driven honky-tonk vibes inspired an early-evening dance party in the seats. Though the humidity in Nissan Stadium is currently peanut butter levels of sticky and thick, the growing crowd peeled themselves out of their chairs and held their evening's first beers aloft.

8:00 p.m.: El Salvador-born Angie K, a former The Voice contestant co-signed by the likes of Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, and Jake Owen, took to the stage at a late filling and smotheringly humid Nissan Stadium. CMA Fest 2022 has settled into its final evening.

"Real Talk" is her recently-released breakout single. It's a co-write that features Rhett, his frequent collaborator Jesse Frasure and venerable songwriter Ashley Gorley. It was met with a pleasant response.

"I'm on cloud nine," exclaimed the rising performer when she chatted with The Tennessean before hitting the stage. Her previous largest stadium gig was playing in a building that held roughly half of Nissan's capacity. Regarding what she looked forward to the most, with a focused, but nervous tone, she replied, "when I get off the stage, I'm going to do a tequila shot."

Her grooving track "Country Is As Country Does" bore the same jangling melody and rhythmic groove as a legendary country favorite: John Denver's half-century-old, iconic favorite, "Take me Home, Country Roads." The TikTok favorite knows her way around how to inform a song with uniquely personal energy and make it her own. Achieving that goal here, she received a warm ovation. And then, as promised, she had her tequila shot.

3:15 p.m.: Vanderbilt Event Medicine had taken 25 people to the hospital as of Saturday afternoon.

"Most of those were issues that were made worse by the heat," spokesperson Jerry Jones said.

He said most people have come to them for blisters and to find a place to cool down. He urged people to take advantage of the free water stations that are scattered throughout the festival grounds.

1:45 p.m. Parmalee kicked off a Riverfront Stage set with their 2013 single "Already Callin' You Mine." They had all of the appearances of a 90s rock act playing power pop with effervescent energy.

Blanco Brown returned to the stage to perform his No. 1 hit Parmalee duet "Just The Way." If you are ever looking for a romantic, modern-era Christian rock ballad, this easily fulfills that expectation.

One of the fascinating things about Parmalee is that their sound smacks of all the pieces of three decades of commercially successful pop, rock, country and Christian music. As other genres have evolved and styles have drastically changed over the years, this set of sounds -- four that the quartet is solidly gifted in crafting -- have remained mainly the same.

The band's current single "Take My Name" followed, their second chart-topper in a row on country radio. It's a wedding song, "take my name and make it yours," the sing-along adored part of the track at the Riverfront Stage -- which gratefully receives a blast of breeze from the Cumberland River every ten minutes or so on a loop.

This is notable because it makes Parmalee's sound, on this day, extraordinarily more relaxing than usual.

1:15 p.m.: Brittney Spencer took to the Amp Stage as a few passing clouds and a slight breeze gave the crowd small breaks from the heat.

Hips were swaying as she covered Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” near the top of her set. Spencer said she was happy to be part of CMA Fest’s return.

“It’s such an incredible honor,” Spencer said, before kicking off “Sober & Skinny.”

Blanco Brown's dance party brings it all together

1 p.m.: Blanco Brown doesn't perform "country music." He empathetically performs essential American classics with the unique ability to make Sam Cooke and George Jones feel related by how their catalogs are universally beloved.

To wit, he opened his CMA Fest set with "A Change Is Gonna Come" blending into "Tennessee Whiskey." Following it up with trap-country ballad "Georgia Power" drives home the point even further.

Clad in a combination of classic mid-80s throwback Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros jerseys, he gives off the vibe of "cool pre-teen prayer camp counselor DJing the the all-camp dance party" more than "soulful hip-hop performer."

This is the first set in CMA Fest history to take 60 seconds to seamlessly blend in sounds by hip-hop legends Fatman Scoop (via a sample of his club-familiar track "Be Faithful"), Chubb Rock (via his 1990 rap classic "Treat Em Right" and Kid-N-Play (via their kick-step dance with his DJ).

Then, as the DJ dropped Johnny Cash's "Walk The Line" and followed it with "9 to 5," the crowd felt comfortable. Then, Outkast's "Ms. Jackson" was played, and alchemy occurred. The crowd paused, curiously seemed to scratch their heads in unison, shrugged, then exalted. A full crowd singalong of Outkast's 2003 single "Hey Ya" followed.

"You're a glass of champagne, but I'm Tennessee Whiskey," Brown crooned. Shouting out Lee Brice, the DJ dropped his collaboration with EDM producer R3HAB for a remix of Brice's "Soul." At this point, the heat was as onerous as the pace was frenetic.

He then broke into his anthemic 2021 single "Nobody's More Country."

He found no disagreement as the crowd double-time clapped while sweating ever more profusely than ever.

A full wedding type party then ensued. as he then got them to dance the "Cupid Shuffle" and "Wobble" and mimic Will Smith and Alfonso Ribiero's dance routine to "Apache" by the Sugar Hill Gang." This preceded his TikTok dance sensation breakout, "The Git Up."

Blend Brown's artistic intentions erring towards "purpose over prosperity" with a peak-hour hip-hop DJ's desire to play the hottest 90 seconds of a track. The 45 minute, 18-song set he helmed at the CMA Fest's Riverside Stage was astonishing, unprecedented and fun.

Meghan Patrick and Shy Carter rally on Sunday morning

An originally modest crowd swelled as people gravitated towards the Amp Stage during Shy Carter’s 12:30 p.m. set.

Fans sang along and tapped their feet to “Beer With My Friends.” Many were eating blue popsicles and waved cold bandanas.

“What y’all sipping on?” Carter asked the crowd. A chorus of replies included shouts of “tequila,” “beer” and “water.”

“You’re smart, man,” Carter replied before launching into “Stuck Like Glue,” cowritten with musical duo Sugarland.

Carter jumped off the stage to sing and dance with fans during “Good As You” and “Good Love.” The crowd created a circle around him and held up their phones to take selfies as he sang.

“What’s your name?” he asked a fan wearing heart-shaped sunglasses.

“Ashton,” she said into the microphone.

“I’m Shy,” he said to the crowd with a grin.

Carter finished his set with “One Call Away.” Fans reached out their hands and shouted the lyrics along with him.

A crowd of about 100 were on their feet for Meghan Patrick at 11 a.m. Sunday.

“Who had a little hair of the dog this morning?” Patrick asked the crowd at the top of her set. “Man, I could use one I think.”

“I know you guys have been sweating and walking all weekend,” Patrick said. “It means a lot that you guys are here bright and early this morning.”

People raised their drinks and swayed to “Goes Good With Beer.” Patrick followed with a new song. She wrote “She’s No Good For Me” for “everyone who’s had a breakup with an old version of themselves.

Carrie Underwood closes Saturday night, with a Louisville Slugger

12:30 a.m.: As a live performer, Carrie Underwood has nothing to prove.

However, as she noted to the Tennessean before her night three headlining set at CMA Fest, she feels dutifully tied to upholding the "hustling" legacies of prior top-tier iconic country stars like Barbara Mandrell and Dolly Parton. Thus, she slung an electric guitar over her left shoulder, wore enough bejeweled red and black stagewear to be seen in Nissan Stadium's nosebleed seats, and rocked out to a defiant, solid version of her 2016 single "Church Bells."

Of late, Underwood has become a touring juggernaut -- Vegas to Stagecoach Festival to the stage of Nashville's Bell Tower for Amazon Music's debut concert for her ninth studio album, "Denim and Rhinestones." However, she showed neither exhaustion nor disengagement from her material. On the contrary, the excitement of the job -- being radio-ready country music's most instantaneously recognizable female name, felt like her call to arms to slay a live crowd already blown away by Luke Combs' phenomenal set just 90 minutes prior.

From her new album, she first performed the banjo-aided power-pop lead single "Ghost Story." As she noted to The Tennessean, the song has just enough country blended with pop to highlight her desire to make music that is more broadly genre non-specific. However, she keeps country music's traditions at the core.

2005-era Underwood track, "Wasted," featured Underwood's work as an inspirational Christian rocker blasting to the forefront. Yes, the more traditional "My Savior" reflects where her current interests lie in that realm, but her fiddle-backed torch-song exhortations left Nissan Stadium enraptured. Following that performance with "Jesus, Take The Wheel," another religious pop number from the same era of her career, followed by a stentorian take on the gospel hymn "How Great Thou Art," cemented her excellence in this country-adjacent lane.

The jazzy, 80s, R & B radio synth-pop that underpins her latest album's title track opens a new lane for her career that should prove creatively fruitful. It received the least overwhelming response of the evening, but it's a lane that aligns well with sonic and cultural shifts in the genre.

Underwood's soul-pop skills were highlighted via her 2007 single "Last Night," a track where she sings, "Last night, I did things I'm not proud of and I got a little crazy / Last night, I met a guy on the dance floor and I let him call me 'baby.'"

Masterfully, it set up the set's expected closer -- her smash hit debut single, 2005's "Before He Cheats." if there's a 21st century American Songbook, Underwood promising to commit felonies against a cheating lover is likely on the first page.

Hearing an entire venue sing the song cemented the song's -- and her -- undeniable excellence.

Luke Bryan celebrates country's fans 'shaking it'

The entirety of Nissan Stadium rose to its feet as booming stadium rock drums and heavy, riffing guitars filled the atmosphere. Even though Luke Bryan was starting his 45-minute set, he already "didn't want this night to end." His decade-old No. 1 single was still beloved by nearly 70,000 people from 33 nations worldwide.

His performance of another 2012 favorite, "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," saw Bryan smile slyly when singing the lyric "All we do right is make love / And we both know now that ain't enough." There are live moments in country music when you realize that the best songs come from fondly remembered moments.

This felt like one of those times.

Bryan appeared resolute and impassioned as cell phone flashlights brightly shone throughout Nissan Stadium while he sang the 2013-released Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton-written ballad "Drink A Beer." It was one of the very few times in under an hour the set approached anything less than a countrified party for the grill, Yeti cooler, and mud-truck trip to backwoods clearing set.

This was a night where the fact that Luke Bryan unironically elevates the concept of unhinged partying to the highest art was remembered. There were corn field parties ("Kick The Dust Up"), margarita-fueled parties ("One Margarita), deer-hunting and fishing parties ("Huntin' Fshin' and Lovin' Everyday"), crashed parties ("Crash My Party") and more.

By the time he sang the 11-year-old single "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," the same women who were canoodling during Thomas Rhett's set on Friday night were following the instructions offered by the hook of the near 30-time country radio No. 1 hitmaker's anthemic song.

Luke Combs makes his case for being music's sincerest and greatest current star

10:00 p.m.: In 2016, before his star-making single, "Hurricane" was released, Luke Combs sold 83 tickets for a show in Athens, Georgia. On Saturday night, he played a stellar main stage set at CMA Fest in front of roughly 81,000 percent (or a crowd he placed at 67,000) more people.

In under a decade, Luke Combs' rise to superstardom is so profound that it needs such an astounding number to encapsulate its greatness.

Night three co-host and Apple Music Radio country host Nada Taha introduced Luke Combs in glowing terms. Then, with nary an ounce of fanfare in response, he ripped into an energetic take of his 2017 No. 1 single, "When It Rains It Pours." He then turned the singing duties for half a verse over to an excited crowd. When the spotlight hit their faces, it illuminated a building prepared for 45 minutes of rocking to anthemic country radio hits.

As he noted to The Tennessean before appearing on stage, this was, indeed, the last live show he'd be playing before his wife, Nicole, is due to give birth to their first child (he adds he's well aware he's going to be responsible for changing diapers most of the time). He then, apropos of the conversation, sang his romantic fan favorite, "The Kind of Love We Make."

Combs rasping with his trademark rough, assured voice through his single "Doin' This" kicked off an epic run of song performances highlighting why he's the CMA's reigning Entertainer of the Year.

"Beautiful Crazy" involved Combs elevating the art of honest, earnest stage banter to near soliloquy levels in describing how he wrote the track for his wife and how much it would mean for her to hear the live crowd sing along. "Best Of Me," "Lovin' On You" and "Forever After All" were also particularly spirited performances.

It takes an exceptionally high level of believability in a star's connectivity for "Forever After All's" opening lines "A cold beer's got 12 ounces / A good truck's got maybe three hundred thousand / You only get so much until it's gone" to feel sincere and not ironically wryly hilarious.

Combs is that believably sincere.

Moreover, when 67,000 people euphorically agree via screaming that an "ice-cold long-neck beer never broke their hearts," that level of sincerity is doubled down upon.

Luke Combs isn't just a country star. In one awe-inspiring, 45-minute set, he made an excellent case for being a top-tier pop star, regardless of genre.

Brothers Osborne's rip-roaring set takes the party to another level

8:40 p.m. With the last of Saturday's daylight gone, Brothers Osborne dove into a typically raucous set. If the party was not already underway at Nissan Stadium, it certainly was after John Osborne launched into the first of several guitar solos showing his skills are up there with just about anyone in country music.

Meanwhile, TJ Osborne, the other half of the sibling duo, led the crowd in tour through several of Brothers' biggest hits, as a pair of puppeteer-controlled 20-foot-tall skeletons danced behind them.

The set ended with an extended version of the duo's "It ain't my fault," which left few of the tens of thousands of fans now backed into the stadium in their seats,

Randy Houser's bombastic  performance makes Nissan Stadium feel 'Like A Cowboy'

8:00 p.m.: Before hitting the CMA Fest's main stage, Randy Houser told The Tennessean that, regardless of singing in front of 500 or 50,000 people, he sang with equal levels of bravado.

Fifteen minutes into his CMA Fest set, his big voice was on display.

As a late-arriving night crowd reached their field seats at Nissan Stadium, the performer welcomed the "cowboys and cowgirls" to the venue. Then, he sang with a blustery baritone about how every time he falls down he gets back up again "like a cowboy," via his decade-old hit.

For those who are fans of restoring some manner of four-decade-old neotraditional and more rough-hewn pop-country vibes, Houser's set awoke echoes of everyone from George Strait to Jamey Johnson and Cody Johnson, too. As a live band kicked into honky-tonk rhythms, Houser exited the stage to warm, deserved cheer

Warehouse fire sends plumes of smoke over CMA Fest

Smoke from a warehouse fire was seen rising over the CMA Fest crowd in downtown Nashville on Saturday afternoon, but was not on the festival grounds.

The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. in the 100 block of North 1st Street, near Nissan Stadium. The building was "fully involved" as crews arrived, the Nashville Fire Department said.

North 1st Street is blocked as multiple crews worked to contain the blaze. No injuries had been reported as of 4:45 p.m., according to NFD.

NFD tweeted that crews had contained the fire and were focusing on "hot spots" around 5:15 p.m. Read more. 

Ryan Hurd, Hailey Whitters get the crowd involved

Hailey Whitters got the crowd stomping, clapping and swaying at the Amp Stage at 2:45 p.m. with songs like “Fillin’ My Cup.”

She showed off her trademark bloomers under her yellow-and-white checkered dress before she played “Plain Jane.”

A fan lifted two beers high in the air and let out a hardy “Yee haw!” during “The Neon.”

1:45 p.m. An afternoon breeze offered a small measure of relief from the heat as Ryan Hurd took the Riverfront Stage. The crowd spilled into the walkways behind the terraces as Hurd sang “June, July, August.” The singer-songwriter also sang “Waves,” which he co-wrote with Luke Bryan.

“Ladies, I’m going to need your help on this next one,” Hurd said before launching into “Chasing After You,” a song he co-wrote with his wife, Maren Morris.

Boats, kayaks and jet skis dotted the Cumberland River behind the stage as the heat index stayed in the 90s.

Health and safety tips: Seek out shade, drink water and leave your boots behind

Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Event Medical teams are on site at CMA this weekend. VUMC's Jerry Jones says they've treated "the regular medical issues you’d see at a large event," including sunburn, heat exhaustion and blisters.

As of Saturday morning, they've made 13 transports to the hospital, "with mostly medical conditions that were made worse by the heat."

As the fest reaches its halfway point, the Event Medical Teams are stressing heat safety. Attendees should avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids (there are free water stations through the festival site) and dress to keep cool and in the shade.

Also, since blisters are a minor but widespread issue: "We would stress to avoid blisters and wear comfortable shoes. Wait until you get home to wear those newly purchased cowboy boots."

Saturday heats up with Lauren Alaina, BRELAND

12:45 p.m.: 2022 at the Riverfront Stage found Lauren Alaina as well known as a CBS reality TV star and Maurices' clothier pitchwoman as she is a pop-country star on the rise.

However, those laurels were achieved because the Rossville, Georgia native is human, relatable, and generally — as is ideally the case for a festival attended by thousands of people — a rising country queen of fun vibes.

Her just-released cover of King Harvest's 1973 AM radio hit "Dancing in the Moonlight" fit in nicely alongside her ex-lover revenge bar-hopping anthem "Getting Over Him" in a fun, arena-style rocker of a set. As well, her solo take on her No. 1 hit Kane Brown duet "What Ifs" was met with an ovation.

Notably, her ovation bled from "What Ifs" into her solo take on her HARDY and Devin Dawson collaboration "One Beer."

Alaina's voice sounds like small-town Baptist gospel. Blend that with inherently honest songs ("One Beer" is already arguably in the canon of great songs about accidental teenage pregnancy), and her growth from least-anticipated to most-wanted Music City fave makes sense.

Alaina closed with her 2017 hit "Road Less Traveled." Indeed, she took the road less traveled, but this set showed her likely on her way across the Seigenthaler Bridge (Nissan Stadium's main stage is there) to potentially more significant acclaim.

12 p.m.: 26-year-old BRELAND's mid-day Riverfront Stage set at CMA Fest showcased his preternatural level of polish as a country music neophyte that has led him to explode out of quarantine with a No. 1 single, peak-hour festival gigs, and the respect of literally all of your favorite country artists of the past three decades.

When he performed his viral TikTok breakout "My Truck" at the Ryman for April's BRELAND and Friends concert, it was at a seated venue, so it was met with polite excitement. Here at Riverfront, the heat index read 93 degrees at noon. Instead of turning up with the chart-topper, cell phones swayed aloft.

If you were looking for a moment at CMA Fest wherein the entire crowd was well aware that they were in the presence of a soon (quite literally, Sunday night) Nissan Stadium main stage artist — but were too overheated to go over the top in their actually present excitement — this was it.

10 a.m.: The line snaked all the way down the block along 6th Avenue outside Music City Center as people waited to enter Fan Fair X. The line began moving steadily around 10 am.

Drake White kicked off his set at 10:45 a.m. with “Heartbeat,” as the crowd got to its feet and sang along.

“Welcome to church, everybody,” White said.

Some ducked under trees behind the terraces along the crowded Riverfront Stage as temperatures climbed into the mid-80s. Others wiped sweat from their brows and cooled themselves by waving paper fans.

White talked about suffering a hemorrhagic stroke he suffered on stage in 2019 and credited his recovery to his wife, family, God and his doctors.

He sang “Hurts the Healing” and “Livin’ the Dream,” among others.

Kane Brown's CMA Fest set: A superstar victory lap at a comfortable pace

Kane Brown closed the second night of CMA Fest in front of a crowd responding to material that has yet to powerfully impact country's radio and marketing circles.

The Chattanooga native is in the midst of time off prior to restarting his 2022 Drunk or Dreaming tour on September 17 with dates in Australia. He's also celebrated yet another No. 1 single ("One Mississippi"), as well as a homecoming performance. This, after a grueling 35-date tour including 29 NBA arenas. Brown was more subdued than expected, onstage.

He also showed himself accepting his place as a genre-fluid "different" artist, as comfortable with rousting the echoes of Alan Jackson's 90s heyday on "Like I Love Country Music," sonorously performing power-ballad "Homesick" (an homage to the military, he noted "I love the USA"), or pushing into EDM via his marshmello duet "One Thing Right."

"Like I Love Country Music" should likely be somewhere near peaking at the top of country's sales and/or radio charts by August 3. Thus, it necessitates a performance that may not strike wild adulation at this moment, but by the time this set hits television, one should expect it -- for the millions watching not present in Music City -- to be seen as "uniquely intimate" and warmly received.

Brown's die-hard fans head-banging to an elongated guitar solo for his first No. 1 single "What Ifs" as fireworks exploded over the Cumberland River closed an emotional night at the 49th CMA Fest.

Carly Pearce pays tribute to The Judds with Wynonna

10:50 p.m.: Since the last CMA Fest in 2019, arguably no artist in country music experienced a momentum shift (or expanded trophy case) quite like Carly Pearce.

She graduated to performing Friday at Nissan Stadium after becoming a Grand Ole Opry member and earning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year honors – both achievements backed by her cathartic and critically-praised divorce album “29: Written In Stone.”

CMA Fest: Wynonna Judd joins Carly Pearce onstage for CMA Fest surprise performance

But instead of a riding a victory lap of the best “29” offers, Pearce spent her time on stage honoring a pair of fellow Kentuckians who came before her: The Judds. Weeks after Naomi Judd’s death, Pearce invited Wynonna Judd to celebrate the late Country Music Hall of Famer with a rendition of Judds song “Why Not Me.”

“As a girl growing up in Kentucky, yes, I idolized The Judds and wanted to be like them,” Pearce said after performing her radio single “What He Didn’t Do” during the two-song appearance. My first concert was to see Wynonna. And I’ve always loved all of the music that The Judds made and just feel like it is such a representation of the best of country music.”

Cole Swindell continues his improbable 2022 surge

10:45 p.m.: The 2022 CMA Fest is also a special being recorded for airing on ABC on August 3. Thus, in the decades-long tradition of country music as a variety-show medley format, Carly Pearce introduced Cole Swindell, who performed his recent Lainey Wilson duet and chart-topping hit "Never Say Never." Moreover, he performed his critically-beloved new single on country radio -- and Jo Dee Messina-sampling single "She Had Me At (Heads Carolina)."

In two months, one could expect that the latter -- possibly the best of the lot of 90s country heir apparent expected to dominate country fans' summer and fall months -- should be well along the path to being Swindell's somewhat improbable second number-one single in 2022.

Just as can be noted with ERNEST's George Jones-style "Flower Shops" -- another throwback-sounding single that wowed fans earlier in the day -- the classics never die.

Gabby Barrett goes from seats to stage

10:30 p.m.: The last time CMA Fest took over Nashville, Gabby Barrett's monster debut single "I Hope" hadn't reached the country charts.

Fast forward three years and she smiled as the stadium screamed along to the inescapable chorus, "... and then I hope he cheeeeats."

Barrett made a two-song main stage debut at CMA Fest, opening with 2020 song "Pick Me Up" before dipping into the five-time Platinum-selling single that launched her from sitting in the stands for CMA Fest 2019 to singing on stage.

Thomas Rhett slows down summer while evolving into a CMA Fest staple

9:30 p.m.: Thomas Rhett was once a Nissan Stadium nosebleed seat dweller at CMA Fest. Now, he's something of a main stage regular.

His 2022 appearance included playing recent favorites like "Country Again" and "Slow Down Summer," entertaining a blissed-out crowd during night two of 2022's CMA Fest headlining entertainment.

"I used to bug my dad for free tickets [to this event] when it was called Fan Fair at the Nashville Fairgrounds," Rhett told the Tennessean before hitting the stage. Rhett's father, Rhett Akins — much like the current 18-time country radio chart-topper — was a fixture at Fan Fair as the architect behind many hits during his son's suburban Nashville childhood.

As Rhett's 45-minute set weaved its way through his collection of soulful ballads like 2015's "Die A Happy Man," the number of girlfriends comfortably canoodling and singing aloud in Nissan Stadium appeared to double. As he grows into being both a parent and a husband ("my favorite show is Moana," the father of four noted in the press room), his live performance slides into the realm of comfortable, approachable middle-age joy.

"My ultimate goal is to just write great songs that reveal 150,000% of who I am. I've re-lit the creative fire in myself to be the best overall artist I can be," Rhett told The Tennessean in April 2022. Two months later, he's started along his path to achieving his career goals in the next chapter of his career.

Highlights: See what happened Thursday

Kelsea Ballerini calls ‘Dibs’ with sparking pop-country

8:35 p.m.: Days after she shared the Nissan Stadium stage with Kenny Chesney during his Nashville tour stop, Kelsea Ballerini returned to the towering venue for a pop-country revue that was undoubtedly all hers.

Ballerini – covered in glitter and wearing a sparking head-to-toe outfit (plus a matching sparkled pink guitar) – wasted little time in covering her catalog of contagious songs: A revamped rendition of 2017’s “Miss Me More,” pop-tinged piano ballad “I Quit Drinking” new single “Heartfirst” and a solo take on award-winning Chesney duet “Half of My Hometown” all made the cut.

She gave a one-two-three punch with a lightning-paced medley of “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs” and “Yeah Boy.” Still, no moment hit quite like an unvarnished solo rendition of “Homecoming Queen?,” prefaced by Ballerini asking fans to pull down life’s emotional filter and be “together in this room right now.”

“Since I’ve seen you, there’s been a lot that’s happened in the world,” Ballerini said on stage. “Going into it’s been hard, but coming out of it’s been equally hard or harder and I’ve been struggling with major anxiety.

She continued, “I go back to this song that I wrote before the shutdown about giving myself permission to feel my feelings because we're all human and no one’s perfect.”

And, of course, she brought a little white wine with her, sipping from a red Solo cup between songs before ending “with a bang” – drinking anthem “Hole In The Bottle.”

“I just kinda feel like the luckiest girl in the world,” Ballerini said.

Nissan opens with 'Strawberry Wine'

7:55 p.m.: Like “Two Dozen Roses” band Shenandoah a night ago, Nissan Stadium kicked off Friday with a shot of ‘90s country – this time from hometown singer Deana Carter.

Carter didn’t waste time giving audiences what they hoped to hear: A run of throwback country favorites. She opened the set with “How Did I Get There” before singing “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” and “Count Me In,” each singles off Carter’s celebrated 1996 debut album also named “Did I Shave My Legs For This?”

“How many ‘90s country fans did we got out here?” Carter said on stage. “We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of ‘Did I Shave My Legs For This?,’ my very first record. Some of you weren’t born, I know, but you heard it, right?”

As the sun set on Nissan Stadium, Carter closed her 30-minute set (after teasing a a surprise appearance from Wynonna Judd later in the night) with signature hit “Strawberry Wine” and a “thank you” to fans for coming out early.

“God bless you,” she said after the set. “Thank y’all.”

ERNEST blends pop and country, a 'Flower Shops' performance blooms

5 p.m.: Big Loud Records artist ERNEST has already achieved five No. 1 hits as a songwriter on the road to headlining on the Cumberland River on Friday afternoon at the Riverfront Stage. As the sweaty, blissful crowd eagerly awaited receiving the weekend's first performance of 2022 pop-country's favorite throwback anthem, "Flower Shops," the star who frequently attended CMA Fest in his Nashville-based youth called his day-ending positioning a "bucket list moment."

However, as could be expected when he was announced as an artist inspired by "everyone from Eminem to George Jones," he delivered a performance that expressed a breadth and depth of mainstream pop-friendly styles and influences. If -- as many were as the clock struck 4:30 on a delightfully balmy afternoon -- you were waiting to hear the previously-mentioned zooming to top-10 status country radio single, the broad scope of the Nashville native's impressive influences made waiting an unexpectedly enjoyable time.

He's a twanging, rock-adjacent crooner with an evident love of R & B. Thus, for as much as his 90s tastes err towards artists like Alan Jackson, listen closely and crossover soul crooners with flair like Babyface feel crucial to his sound, too. Dig deeper into his album cuts as live performances and vibes reminiscent of The Eagles'  mid-70s work seep into "Feet Wanna Run."

If thinking that ERNEST's artistry limited him to being a trucker-hat wearing everyman turned sepia-tinged jukebox, you discovered at the Riverfront Stage today that you're half right. In taking a longer listen to his "Flower Shops" The Album" work like "Comfortable When I'm Crazy," or songs like "Wasted On You" that he's penned for Morgan Wallen's record-setting streaming champion "Dangerous: The Album," he's a pop-adoring songsmith still growing into his soon expected stardom

For the sun-kissed throng waiting for him to plug in his electronic acoustic guitar and sing about sad lovers' tear-filled blue and bloodshot-sad eyes, ERNEST emerged as a country performer worthy of keener attention.

Powerful moments with country's next female stars

2:30 p.m.: Here's a Friday afternoon report from Tennessean country music reporter Marcus K. Dowling.

For the past five hours at the 2022 CMA Fest, we've shared stories and incredible, transformative moments with a sextet of country music's next wave of female stars: Ingrid Andress, Priscilla Block, Ashland Craft, Miko Marks, Lily Rose and Hailey Whitters.

With three-time Grammy-nominated artist Andress, we conducted an in-depth interview for a forthcoming feature related to her new album.

Having taken a preview listen to the album, the track "Yearbook" (featuring the takeaway lyric that "the pages only turn one way," a favorite for both the artist and reporter) took the early lead for the likely radio single-to-watch.

Currently, Andress has the Sam Hunt duet "Wishful Drinking" on country radio, and it's clear that she has more hyper-personal, open and aware songs to come.

She confronted a "broken" brain while writing her COVID-era breakout hit "More Hearts Than Mine." Her desire to deny boredom in her songwriting led to a song that reflects people's ability to be more capable thinkers than they believe themselves to be.

CMA Fest updates: The party rolls on Friday with Ingrid Andress, Miko Marks, boots and beers

As for Marks, her journey back to Nashville after dealing with racist slights by country's mainstream is a remarkable story (one we'll be telling soon). She joined the non-Andress quintet of previously mentioned artists at CMT's Next Women of Country songwriting round at the Country Music Hall of Fame's CMA Theater.

The last time many were present in the theater was when another influential female country artist — Naomi Judd — as posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Marks was wistful when asked about being in a place where Wynonna feted Naomi.

However, the power of being in the Hall of Fame in a moment wherein, like herself, more African-American female vocalists are being featured than ever (namely, Brittney Spencer, Mickey Guyton, Allison Russell and Rissi Palmer in the museum's American Currents exhibition in the past two years) was palpable.

Upon being in space she's now shared with her sister artists, Marks was nearly overcome.

Fast-forward 90 minutes and while "taking the CMA Theater to church" (as event host and CMT Senior Vice President Leslie Fram noted) in front of a fan who saw her first at Fan Fair in 2005, Marks finally stood from her chair. Onstage, while singing an unreleased track, she loosed her throaty, gospel-tinged contralto to the world. And then, she cried tears of joy that left a room awestruck and similarly tear-jerked.

There may be no more heart-wrenching story, at least today, at CMA Fest.

Regarding Whitters, Craft, Block and Rose, there may be no more rock-solid quartet of singer-songwriters (female or otherwise) currently set to impact country radio.

Grammy-nominee Whitters performed "Everything She Ain't from her 2022 star-making album "Raised." Rose played her TikTok sensation "Villain" and followed it up with her single "Stronger Than I Am," as two die-hard fans sang every word of both while sitting front-row center.

Block sang a stirring rendition of her 2020 hit "Just About Over You." Her overwhelming, still-present humility and joy in the face of her rising stardom was noteworthy.

Craft's "Make It Past Georgia" combines the one-time dive bar vocalist's vocal similarity to Janis Joplin with a song that compares heartbreak to exceptional weariness from life on the road. It'll be a slow-burning hit akin to Lainey Wilson's "Things A Man Oughta Know," but it's a hit.

A 'damn good time' with Willie Jones and more

2 p.m.: Gabe Lee’s set had an intimate feel at the CMA Spotlight Stage starting at 2 p.m. in Fan Fair X. A crowd of around 50 sat, captivated by soulful “Susannah” in the middle of Lee’s acoustic set.

Lee’s honey-rich voice thanked the crowd and said CMA Fest has been an all-around pleasure this year. He finished his set with “Ol’ Smokey” from his 2019 album “farmland.”

Joy and Allison Berringer were front-row for Lee’s set. They said they hadn’t heard him sing before but said they are big fans after seeing him sing live.

The couple is on their honeymoon from Nova Scotia, Canada. They are spending two weeks in Nashville, and Fan Fair X at CMA Fest has been their favorite event so far.

“It’s great to see the newcomers perform,” Joy Berringer said. “We have our favorite stars, but then you come to this stage and say ‘okay they are getting big next.’”

Allison Berringer scrolled through photos on his phone while he waited for the next artist to come onstage. He was particularly proud of the shots he took of Carrie Underwood on Thursday at her Amazon Prime concert.

Joy looked on. “He’s the better photographer of the two of us,” she said.

Abi and Candace Stoltzfus walked briskly into the Amp Stage around 12:15, weaving around the crowds of people heading out towards First Avenue. They had driven to Nashville from Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

The sisters hurried all the way to the barricade to be as close as possible before Willie Jones took the stage. Abi sported brown and white cow-print pants and Candance had suede cowboy boots to match her woven hat.

Crowds cheered and fans stood up from their picnic blankets as Jones ran onstage and opened his set with “Slow Cookin.’”

“We’re just gonna rock out and have a damn good time out here” Jones said before singing “Down For It.”

Jones followed “Back Porch” with an unreleased song he said would be out later this summer. He dedicated it to “all the pretty girls” in the crowd. Fans swayed and waved their arms to the music.

CMA Fest for free: No tickets required for these concerts

Five unforgettable moments: CMA Fest makes triumphant return

Shocker: Boots are flying off the shelves

1 p.m.: A fleet of emergency vehicles lined 1st Avenue South, in between the Riverfront Stage and Amp Stage. The fleet included everything from a Vanderbilt Life Flight ambulance to an “ambubus” — a retrofitted school bus —that belongs to the Nashville Fire Department.

12:30 p.m. Plenty of freebies were available at the Busch stand at the Amp Stage. Staffers were handing out custom coozies, cooling bandanas, CMA Fest posters and popsicles.

Fans were relaxing at the Busch bar, where a line-up of guest bartenders included Ashley Cooke and Breland Friday.

12: p.m. Customers were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder inside Boot Country on Lower Broadway. The store is known for its “buy one, get two” deals on boots.

Marketing coordinator Jessica Spencer said business has picked up overall in Nashville recently.

“CMA has definitely picked us up,” she said. “It’s like having 3-4 Saturdays in a row.”

Deb Wing was mulling over a choice between white and gray ankle boots. She was in from La Crosse, Wisconsin, with friends.

“I’m gonna wear them around right now shopping to break them in for tomorrow,” Wing said.

Her friend Lainee Nummerdor sprang for a pair of tall brown boots studded with rhinestones and sparkly stitching.

Their group was off for more shopping, with plans to grab drinks and catch some music inside Ole Red a few doors down later.

A cloudy morning

11 a.m.: A large crowd bobbed their heads and held phones high as Larry Fleet played the Riverfront Stage. Families, groups of friends and people of all ages gathered to listen to Fleet.

“This is the first song I ever recorded. Sing along if you know it,” Fleet said as he kicked off “Where I Find God.”

The crowd didn’t disappoint, with many joining in as the chorus rang out.

Day 2 was off to slower start under cloudy skies, but the crowd was steadily growing downtown by 10:45 a.m. Music was blaring from a few honky tonks and exhibits. A lone party bus with a few dancing patrons meandered down 4th Avenue as festival-goers waited to cross.

The temperatures hovered in the the mid-70s for the morning, but forecast calls for a high in the mid-80s and chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms later in the day.

Day one highlights

Read on for a look back at moments from Thursday, opening day of CMA Fest in Nashville.

Keith Urban: 'You guys might’ve missed this whole thing as much as we did'

11:45 p.m.: Keith Urban described in two words what those who trekked cross-country — or further — likely felt when gates finally opened and music began pouring out of CMA Fest.

"We're back," Urban said during his night-closing set at Nissan Stadium.

He added, "I had the feeling you guys might’ve missed this whole thing as much as we did."

And much like those who traveled a far distance to fill the stadium seats, Urban spent his time on stage covering as much ground as possible from a career rooted in six-string exploration. He opened with extended guitar ripper "Days Go By" before soulful fan-favorite "Blue Ain't Your Color," dream-chasing anthem "Wild Hearts" and an unrestrained solo take on "You'll Think of Me."

On returning to CMA Fest, Urban told The Tennessean backstage before his performance: "The energy of this crowd is unlike anywhere. It's such a unique moment. This week in Nashville, period, is unlike any other time in the city. This year especially, [after] having a two-year, pent-up absence. I can already feel it – everybody's ready to make up for lost time."

"You guys are making up for lost time tonight," Urban said. "This is insane."

Jason Aldean returns to 'his kinda party'

2022's Academy of Country Music, iHeartRadio, and CMT Song of the Year award winner (with Carrie Underwood for the duet "If I Didn't Love You") Jason Aldean's solo CMA Fest performance showed he is engrossed by the third and wildly successful era of his two-decade-long country career.

Earlier, he remarked that "Trouble With A Heartbreak's" current three-week run atop Billboard's Country Airplay chart was doubly important. Foremost, it's the first time he's had the No. 1 song in the genre during CMA Fest. It also continues a run of success that compares to the success achieved by his 2009 hit "Big Green Tractor."

"If you expected me to bring out guests, you're gonna be sad tonight," he offered as he swaggered into the Tennessee Titans' press room earlier Thursday evening. To that end, his live set was highlighted by solid takes on his 2010 hits "My Kinda Party" and "Dirt Road Anthem."

Physically, it appears he's decided to double down in the gym to elevate his delivery as a live performer. Since telling the Tennessean in April 2022 that he didn't expect to be here "in a trillion years," he's clearly making an effort to be ready to fulfill the expectations of continued unprecedented acclaim.

Aldean's looking at spending much of the rest of 2022 on the road. Thus, his 45-minute set at Nissan Stadium was a rocking dress rehearsal of what will likely transpire over two hours on stage in venues across America.

Notable also was the quality of his vocal performance. New single "That's What Tequila Does" (from the "Macon" half of now fully-released double-album "Macon, Georgia"), plus a solo, live piano-driven take of the previously-mentioned "If I Didn't Love You," sans Carrie Underwood (a 2021 Aldean live tour staple) were strong, comfortable, and in line with expecting album-quality work from the superstar.

Zac Brown Band awes Nissan Stadium by 'Taking It To The Limit' (one more time)

9:30 p.m.: In an interview before hitting the stage at Nissan Stadium, Zac Brown told The Tennessean that he has played 5500 shows in the past 22 years. The reason?

"I still feel like I'm winning over live crowds, man," he said. "We don't get to open for acts too much anymore, so festivals like these let us connect with people who may only stream us, or aren't too familiar with our live show."

Country music's beloved traveling troubadours maintained that status with tracks like 2006's "Toes," causing -- as expected -- the 50,000-plus in attendance to break out in impromptu stadium seat dance parties.

However, most impressive was his cover of "Take It To The Limit," The Eagles' 1975 smash. His vocal performance both pleased and stunned a crowd not entirely sure of what to make of a current superstar making a play for a larger stake as a genre-shaping icon. When the set airs as part of ABC's August 3 "CMA Fest" special, it's worth watching.

Brown's desire to mimic the likes of Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley as a mentor for younger country acts showcased itself on the big stage at Nissan as Nashville favorites King Calaway played their latest single, "See You When I Get Home," alongside Brown. In addition, he's helmed the writing and production of their forthcoming album project.

The juxtaposition of the fresh-faced quartet of Chris Deaton, Simon Dumas, Chad Michael Jervis and Caleb Miller alongside Brown's much rougher presentation highlighted his ear and eye for talent supersedes stereotypical expectations.

Also, in a continuing trend after Billy Strings' appearance at Marty Stuart's Wednesday evening Late Night Jam at the Ryman Auditorium, breakout guitarist Marcus King joined Brown to perform their 2021-released track "Stubborn Pride." King's blistering solo floored an audience seemingly largely unaware of his road-developed instrumental prowess.

And yes, the set was bookended by his ever-reliable hits separated by just over a decade, 2008's "Chicken Fried" and 2021's "Same Boat."

Darius Rucker: 'I love this Weekend'

8:30 p.m.: The sun set on Nissan Stadium, and everything's 'Alright' with Darius Rucker.

The Grammy Award-winning star took the stage in a throwback Rolling Stones tour t-shirt, singing his 2009 chart-topper "Alright" before reminding onlookers of his one-of-a-kind croon with the mandolin-backed "Come Back Song."

"Ain't it great to be back in Nashville — in-person — seeing a show?" Rucker said on stage. "Man, I love this weekend."

The performance capped a day-long victory lap for Rucker, who kicked off performances at the Spotify House inside Ole Red on Lower Broadway Thursday morning and stopped by the Gibson Garage hours before his stadium set for an acoustic performance.

"I've been playing the CMA Fest since 2009 and it's awesome to see you guys come together to have this party in this beautiful building," Rucker said, adding: "That's awesome to me."

And it wouldn't be a Rucker show without a little Hootie & The Blowfish (or a lot of "Wagon Wheel"). He delivered on both, performing 1990s rock staple "I Only Wanna Be With You" before later closing with his award-winning Old Crow Medicine Show cover.

Returning to Nissan Stadium

7:55 p.m.: CMA Fest returned to Nissan Stadium with a taste of throwback country courtesy of 1980s and '90s hitmaking group Shenandoah.

The band revved up early showgoers with renditions of nostalgic '90s foot-stompers "Next To You, Next To Me" and "If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)" before cutting into  tender ballad "I Want To Be Loved Like That" — the night's first stadium singalong — and signature song "Two Dozen Roses."

"Let's throw a little gas on the fire," frontman Marty Raybon said to muchb approval as the band kicked into "If Bubba Can Dance."

Prior to Shenandoah, rising country singer Brittney Spencer took the stage for a stirring take on the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Fans seek out shade (and go for a swim?)

4:30 p.m. The crowds had thinned considerably downtown by 4 p.m. Sun-wearied festival-goers took advantage of the shade as the sun dropped lower into the sky and ducked into honky tonks and enclosed exhibits around downtown.

A modest crowd gathered for Tenille Arts, signing along with arms waving.

"This is a bucket-list stage for me," she said at the top of the set.

Behind her, boats floated on the river in the afternoon heat and a few jumped in for a swim.

A religious experience on opening day

3 p.m.: One word describes the first five hours on Lower Broadway: religious.

Jimmie Allen's opening stage banter at the Chevy Riverfront Stage at 10:45 AM included the 2021 CMA New Artist of the Year, noting that he believes in God and "God's not a loser."

Two hours later, country hitmaker Hardy was leading the stage's capacity-packed, booze-filled and heartily-entertained crowd on a tour through "God's Country."

At CMA Fest, it's readily apparent that country music's Mother Church is up the street. However, country music's time-worn Christian values are among the vibes governing day one of the 49th CMA Fest.

Regarding all things timelessly country, the genre's close affiliation with easy-listening rock and roll was spotlighted as Darius Rucker opened Spotify House at Blake Shelton's Ole Red bar.

Hearing Rucker lament his emotional reaction to watching his beloved Miami Dolphins lose football games in 1994 Hootie and the Blowfish hit "Only Wanna Be With You" ("Sometimes you're crazy then you wonder why / I'm such a baby 'cause the Dolphins make me cry") is a heartwarming hallmark of his songwriting.

That same lyric sung by a bar crowd at a mega-massive festival sounds like a Catholic choir uttering a responsorial psalm.

Even deeper, the day's sermon was delivered by 2022 Academy of Country Music Song of the Year award-winner Lainey Wilson.

In front of a crowd whipped into a Godfearing, devil-may-care, redneck country frenzy by Hardy, the Baskin, Louisiana native sang sweetly about maintaining self-respect while expecting a mate to show kindness via her singles "Heart Like A Truck" and "Things A Man Oughta Know."

As brother-tandem LOCASH's new single "Beach Boys" sounded like timelessly-adored songs by the band sharing the track's title, a sweltering yet fun afternoon on the banks of the Cumberland River sweatily sauntered on.

In short, CMA Fest 2022, so far, has been highlighted by country music being in the throes of unearthing its core values and celebrating its most warmly beloved sounds.

Hardy rocks the Riverfront

12:30 p.m.: The banks of the Cumberland were packed as Hardy got underway at noon, drawing loud cheers as he sang "Boots" before he launched into "Give Heaven Some Hell."

Lainey Wilson joined him and handed him a beer as he kicked off "One Beer." He encouraged the crowd to raise their respective drinks as they sang along.

"No more love songs, no more sad songs, we're just gonna play some country sh— and rock your face off for the rest of the set," he said before belting out "Rednecker" while the crowd roared.

Other highlights from the artist and songwriter included the Blake Shelton hit "God's Country," which Hardy said was one of the songs he's most proud of co-writing.

He closed the tight 30-minute set with "Unapologetically Country as Hell."

11 a.m. : The morning continued to warm up with Rita Wilson opening the Chevy Vibes stage at 11 a.m. A crowd of a little more than 150 reclined on picnic blankets and swayed to the music against the backdrop of Bridgestone Arena.

Music from honky tonks spilled onto the street nearby as crowds ambled in and out of line for concession stands and merchandise booths.

A line of people stretched to more than 100 a few blocks down Broadway at the entrance of the Spotify House. People waved paper fans and squinted against the summer sun.

Ticket troubles, patriotic overalls and country's 'family'

Back on Lower Broadway, Jolynn Grashorn and her sister-in-law Jenny McCloy ducked into a food tent along Broadway to get a slice of pizza around 11:30 a.m.

Grashorn said she flew in from Omaha and met McCloy Tuesday, who had driven in from Marion, Iowa.

The two are spending time with family in town and had plans to catch the next acts on the Chevy Vibes stage at noon.

They said they're happy to be back at the festival after the two-year hiatus but were frustrated that everything is digitized — from tickets to festival maps and guides.

"I wasn't impressed with all that," Grashorn said.

They said they saw an older woman crying at the Fan Fair X area because she didn't have internet on her phone and no way to access her ticket. They also said they had trouble transferring tickets via Ticketmaster but eventually found a way.

Fans missed the fest the past two years and were thrilled to see it return. Abbey Tozzi was an intern for CMA in 2019 and was helping to plan the 2020 festival before it was cancelled.

"It was heartbreaking," she said of the cancellation.

Tozzi has been planning this weekend for a year, and waited in the Spotify House line for two hours with her friend Mary Putko, a 3rd grade teacher from Florida.

"It's the best lineup" Putko said. "I'm like, hello, we need to get in there."

Tozzi said her favorite part about seeing CMA fest return is the community of fans.

"Community is really important, and the country music community is like a family," Tozzi said. "It's unlike any other genre."

Rodney Walls was clad head-to-toe in American flag overalls as he headed to see Hardy at the Riverfront Stage just before noon.

He said he hails from Capshaw, Alabama and has added his own flares to the overalls, including a few stars stitched onto the pockets.

He's been coming to CMA Fest since 2012 and said he's especially looking forward to seeing Mark Wills.

"I'm kinda old school — like Joe Nichols and all that," he said.

He was visiting with his friend, David Ellis, who's a Nashville resident. Walls said he drew looks and sparked conversation when he donned some "Yee Haw" overalls a few years back.

A busy, beautiful morning

10 a.m.: Crowds were already filling in along Lower Broadway under sunny skies and 75 degree weather. Music from a few honky tonks punctuated lines of food trucks downtown, featuring everything from beignets to gyros.

Crowds were concentrated around the Fan Fair X at Music City Center and the Riverfront Stage, where Jimmie Allen was playing.

MNPD officers were on hand directing traffic while security workers guided people to stages and checked bags.

CMA has turned Fort Nashborough — which sits next to the Riverfront Stage — into the "Riverside Retreat." Mist blowers, premium drinks, the whole nine yards. AND a lovely view of the Riverside barge.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Fest 2022 in Nashville: What happened, top moments from concerts, scene