NASHVILLE, TN. (CMA
Music Festival announcement) - Love, sweat and tears - "CMA
Music Festival: Country Music's Biggest Party" has it all. The two-hour television event is packed tighter than a cooler in July with emotional encounters between the artists and the fans who adore them and blistering performances that kept audiences on their feet for four days in June. The special airs on the CBS Television Network (9:00-11:00 PM/EDT) Wednesday, July 14.
And Trace Adkins has been added to the impressive list of performers including Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark, Martina McBride, Montgomery Gentry, Pat Green with Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Uncle Kracker with Rachel Proctor, Keith Urban, Hank Williams Jr., Gretchen Wilson and Wynonna.
Culling more than 70 hours of concerts during the four-day festival down to two hours presented some challenges - not to mention the tornado warnings, summer downpours and electrical outages that were all part of the outdoor festival.
"We threw the rundown out the window the first day," said Producer Robert Deaton. "And you know what, it was the best decision we made. Because rather than a pre-determined set list, the fans determined what performances they wanted and what eventually wound up on the show. This event has always been about the fans and in the end, this is their special, too."
The performances are threaded with story lines that are the heart of CMA Music Festival, the unique relationship between the fans and the artists.
"This is not about show business," said Wynonna. "This is about real life. And I am the backdrop for the everyday person who is driving in their car to work, or getting a divorce, or someone who has died. And I am that connection between them and their families."
Stadium staging and screaming crowds, personal encounters, unique collaborations and the passion that compels music fans to drive hundreds of miles or fly halfway around the world to meet an artist they admire for a photograph and a priceless memory. That's CMA Music Festival: The relationship between the artists and the fans and the music that bonds them.
"Country Music is the only genre of music where the artists actually give up a minute of their day to say 'Thank you for buying our albums and coming out to see our shows,'" said Joe Vitale, 33 of St Louis, who has attended the festival every year since 1994. "They appreciate the fans and that's really why the fans continue to support them and that's why CMA Music Festival exists in my opinion."
Vitale said he's already planning to return to CMA Music Festival Thursday through Sunday, June 9-12, in 2005 - and so are a lot of other people. Four-day ticket packages for the Gold Circle, which includes preferred seating on the field, preferred parking at The Coliseum and wait service at your seat are already sold out.
In 2004, the four-day event (June 10-13) achieved a record attendance of more than 132,000 fans from every state and 20 foreign territories including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Ireland and Japan. They enjoyed the Nightly Concerts at The Coliseum (home of the NFL Tennessee Titans); the Daily Concerts at the Greased Lightning Riverfront Park Stages; and the artist autograph sessions at the Wrangler Fan Fair (Exhibit Hall).
In addition, fans watched their favorite artists and sports celebrities compete in the Sports Zone; rode carnival rides on the CMA Music Festival Midway; engaged in fun activities for all ages in the Bush's Baked Beans Family Zone; partied until the wee hours in the nightclubs participating in CMA Music Festival After Hours; and much more.
Four-day ticket packages for 2005 CMA Music Festival are on sale now for a limited time at 2004 prices. Tickets are available by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) or www.CMAfest.com; or through Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600 or over the Internet at www.Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices are subject to change. Order early for the best available reserved seats at The Coliseum. All sales are final and non-refundable.
Four-day ticket packages are divided into categories corresponding to different levels of reserved seating at The Coliseum. 2005 CMA Music Festival continues its popular program of offering discounts for fans 14 and younger. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Children 3 and younger are admitted free.
Gold Circle (Center Floor)
SOLD OUT
Floor (Field)
Full Price: $145
14 and younger: $100
Lower Level
Full Price: $125
14 and younger: $86
Club Level
Full Price: $125
14 and younger: $86
The special, filmed in Nashville during the 2004 CMA Music Festival June 10-13, is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the producer and Gary Halvorson is the director. Special material was written by David Wild. The CMA Music Festival, formerly known as Fan Fair, is organized and produced annually by the Country Music Association.
