CMA Fest 2017: Recommended if You Like

The CMA Music Festival is overwhelming in several ways. For locals, it means an uptick in traffic as well a parade of, er, excitable out-of-towners. For attendees, it’s four blisteringly hot, blissfully jam-packed days of performances from their favorite artists. The festival is known for its nightly superstar concerts at Nissan Stadium. But with hundreds of artists booked to perform, there’s plenty to see during the daytime, too.

From the garage country of Aubrie Sellers to the thoughtful, Brad Paisley-indebted guitar slinging and humor of Charlie Worsham, there’s a little something for everyone on the smaller stages of this year’s CMA Fest. Below, check out 10 of our favorite acts scheduled for the undercard.

Old Dominion

For fans of: Zac Brown Band, Dan + Shay

With Lumineers-esque “heys” and lush, poppy arrangements, Old Dominion has some strong crossover pop appeal. Their new single “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart” is as good a summer sing-along as you’ll find, and their melodic, uplifting take on country pop should pair perfectly with CMA Fest’s sunny settings. You have two chances to catch them: 10 a.m. Thursday at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage and 11 a.m. Saturday at the HGTV Lodge.

Olivia Lane

For fans of: the Dixie Chicks, early Taylor Swift

If you like real banjo in your country music, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Olivia Lane. With a voice reminiscent of the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines, Lane blends traditional country hallmarks with Fearless-era Taylor Swift pop hooks for unusually fresh results. She plays at 12:45 p.m. Friday at the Gildan Broadway Stage at Hard Rock Cafe, and 4 p.m. Friday at Radio Disney Country.

Jo Smith

For fans of: Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett

Jo Smith once went by Joanna Smith, and along with the name change came a drastic change in sound. With her 2016 EP Introducing Jo Smith, Smith traded in her twangy traditional style for a little country-fried blue-eyed soul, all helmed by producer and famed Music Row songwriter Shane McAnally. Catch her Motown-meets-Music City sound at 2 p.m. Friday at the Gildan Broadway Stage at Hard Rock Cafe.

Steve Moakler

For fans of: Will Hoge, Dierks Bentley

Steve Moakler first attracted attention by penning “Riser,” the title track from Dierks Bentley’s 2014 studio album. While he’s written for artists like Bentley, Eric Church and Jake Owen, Moakler chose to strike out on his own. His new solo LP Steel Town showcases his trademark well-crafted earworms through the lens of his youthful but gritty voice. See him at 3:50 p.m. Friday at the Chevrolet Park Stage.

Charlie Worsham

For fans of: Brad Paisley, Vince Gill

Charlie Worsham is easily one of the genre’s best up-and-coming songwriters, singers and players. His sophomore album Beginning of Things, released in April, shows Worsham at both his most introspective (“Old Time’s Sake”) and his funniest (“Take Me Drunk”), and his live sets offer each in spades. Catch him at 4 p.m. Friday at the HGTV Lodge.

Danielle Bradbery

For fans of: Martina McBride, Kelsea Ballerini

Danielle Bradbery first gained prominence in 2013, when just shy of 17 years old, she won the fourth season of NBC’s reality competition The Voice. Since then, the Cypress, Texas, singer has made a name for herself with her big voice and knack for choosing unorthodox songs that suit her. She opens Sara Evans’ free-to-the-public Ladies of Country show, 7 p.m. Friday at the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater.

Aubrie Sellers

For fans of: Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price

She may be Lee Ann Womack’s daughter, but Aubrie Sellers has a sound all her own — one part garage, two parts country, a touch of her mom’s agile twang and a little DIY spirit thrown in for good measure. Sellers brought some edge to Music Row with her critically acclaimed 2016 debut New City Blues, and she plays the free Ladies of Country show at 8:20 p.m. Friday at the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater.

Tara Thompson

For fans of: Gretchen Wilson, Loretta Lynn

East Tennessee firecracker Tara Thompson is a cousin of Loretta Lynn, and it’s clear from her music that the family’s feisty gene didn’t skip her. Expect the sass and sweat of tracks like “Someone to Take Your Place” and “Side Effects,” both from Thompson’s 2016 EP Someone to Take Your Place, to radiate from the stage. Thompson plays at 12:45 p.m. Saturday at the Gildan Broadway Stage at Hard Rock Cafe.

Aaron Watson

For fans of: Wade Bowen, Justin Moore

Aaron Watson broke records when he became the first independent male country artist to have an album debut at the top of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with his 10th LP The Underdog in 2015. (He hadn’t had a track on Country Airplay chart before then, either.) He doubled down on his genre-blurring approach to outlaw-inspired country music with 2017’s Vaquero, which has been a critical success as well as a commercial one — it debuted at No. 2 on Top Country Albums. Watson plays at 4:45 p.m. Saturday at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage.

Hailey Whitters

For fans of: Brandy Clark, Kacey Musgraves

Like Nashville darling Brandy Clark, Hailey Whitters got her start penning her personal, affecting songs for other artists like Little Big Town and Martina McBride. As an artist, Whitters is one of the most underrated vocalists in town, and she doesn’t hold back when it comes to writing material for herself. For proof, check out her excellent 2015 LP Black Sheep, then catch her in person at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Gildan Broadway Stage at Hard Rock Cafe.

Email music@nashvillescene.com