PrintCMA Music Festival 2009 wrap-up
Just a few hours after ending her Saturday night concert appearance with Kenny Chesney at Chicago's Soldiers Field, Miranda Lambert is up bright and early on a Sunday morning, prepping for a more intimate performance at a much smaller venue.
Specifically, the country superstar is about to meet, greet and serenade various chapters of "Ran Fans" — devoted members of her fan clubs from across the United States — gathered at the Nashville Palace here in Music City for some quality time with their fave.
"This is not just about me today," Miranda says in a secluded corner of the club while, several feet away, clusters of "Ran Fans" are preparing elaborate table decorations to compete for prizes. "Today, it's about the fans, and thanking them for their dedication all year round — buying records, buying tickets. They make it about me all year. But this is the one time we make it about them."
Get-togethers such as this one are typical at the CMA Music Festival, the annual four-day extravaganza devoted to givingcountry music fans everything from star-studded stadium concerts to up-close encounters with celebrities.
Originally established in 1972 as "Fan Fair," the event has evolved into a uniquely enormous celebration where, on a typical day during this year's edition held June 11-14, you could wake up early to attend a "fan appreciation" party complete with mini-concert; wander among various downtown Nashville venues to sample free outdoor performances by the likes of The Oak Ridge Boys, Gretchen Wilson, Jo Dee Messina and Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers; shuttle-bus over to the Nashville Convention Center for a long stroll through the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall, where chart-topping stars (Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry), venerated veterans (Reba McEntire, Razzy Bailey) and rising up-and-comers (Joey + Rory, Veronica Ballestrini) appeared at exhibitor booths to sign autographs and pose for photos.
Rodney Atkins performs for fans during the festival.
And if that's not enough, consider this: For the cost of a single- or four-day ticket to the 2009 CMA Fest, you could top off your evening with a marathon concert over at LP Field, where the Sunday closing-night bill this year included Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry, Jack Ingram, John Rich, Kenny Chesney, Heidi Newfield, a surprise appearance by Sugarland — and, yes, one of the hardest-working women in country music, Miranda Lambert.
For veteran Lynn Anderson ("I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"), who attended the very first "Fan Fair" back in '72, the 2009 CMA Fest represented "an opportunity to reconnect with fans, and sort of dip my big toe back in the water" after enjoying renewed success with her recent, well-received Cowgirl album.
For Richard Jaymes, acountry-rock dynamo and veteran of two bands, CMA Fest was a way of spreading the word about his first solo CD and single (Dollar and a Dream) in the hope of being "embraced by fans."
But for gray-bearded, ever-smiling Rich Lyznicki, a dedicated "Ran Fan" from Chicago, CMA Fest simply was a grand way of sharing enthusiasm with like-minded devotees.
Joe with up-and-comer Richard Jaymes at CMA Music Fest.
"It's more than a fan club gathering," he said, indicating the dozens of others assembled Sunday morning at the Nashville Palace. "Everybody here is like family. So it's like a reunion. You get to know all of these other people, and we just spread the love. It's awesome."
Rodney Atkins echoed that sentiment before launching into a mini-concert at his own fan appreciation party: "I think this is why people usually have much longer careers incountry music than they might in other kinds of music — because you establish close relationships with your fans. And that's why people come to an event like this — it's an opportunity to visit all these different artists that they feel close to being family with.
And in my case, they can see me walking around with my family. It's nice not to just blast through a meet-and-greet with them, and be there for maybe — maybe — 30 seconds or a minute. You get to spend some time with them, and sing some songs for them. It's just a little more personal than it might be in other kinds of music. Country music fans are the greatest fans in the world."
Some observers had expected a downtick in attendance at the CMA Festival this year, given recent increases in unemployment rates and gasoline prices, and an overall economic malaise. But the average daily attendance was 56,000 — compared to 52,000 in 2008.
And while CMA officials estimate there was a slight 3.6 percent drop in four-day ticket sales, there was a 19.5 percent increase in single-night sales.
But wait, there's more: Tickets for CMA Music Festival 2010, which will be held June 10-13, went on sale Saturday. And so far, sales are up 4.6 percent over this point in 2008.
As CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese proudly notes: "You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put down their hard-earned money — especially in light of economic uncertainty — for an event that is 12 months away."
June 2009
