2009 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee

I am not what you would call a country music fan. My dream concert would be back-to-back performances by Tool, The Mars Volta, AC/DC and Mastodon, but I’m ready to admit that the folks that are country music fans know how to do a few things well, and one of them is throw a festival.

With four days, hundreds of artists, numerous venues and tons of auxiliary events, the 2009 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee is quite a shindig. But it’s not the size or even the variety that I like; it’s the access. Earning its original 1972 moniker, “Fan Fair”, the CMA Music Festival avoids the all-business attitude of most music festivals and allows the fans to get up close and personal with their favorite stars, whether it’s at an autograph signing, a meet and greet, or a fan club sponsored event. This is really what is should be all about!

This year the Country Music Association is promising its biggest event yet with an act list of hundreds including some of the very biggest: Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Jack Ingram, Reba McEntire, John Rich, Lee Ann Womack, Wynonna and my personal favorite, Brad Paisley (truly the Eddie Van Halen of country).

You can purchase tickets for individual performances at LP Field, but really what you want is the 4-day pass. It’s not exactly cheap, but you really get your money’s worth:

• Four nights’ access to the VAULT^TM Stage at LP Field
• Daily concerts at Riverfront Park w/ early admittance
• Live music at the Chevy^TM Stage at Sommet Center plaza
• Autograph sessions and meet-and-greets at the Fan Fair® Hall
• Festival launch block party
• After-hours concerts and events
• Free shuttle services
• Program book with gifts

The Web site is one of the most complete and thorough festival sites I’ve seen, so by all means utilize it to plan your trip.

The 2009 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee will be held June 11-14, 2009 at several venues around Nashville with the headline stage at LP Field. Four-day passes are going crazy fast, so be sure to jump on one soon lest you be forced to go without.

The Holiday Inn Nashville Hotel / Opryland Airport is always an easy choice for us. Affordable, well-located and we’ve never had a bad stay. We recommend it.

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