Festival Frenzy 2023: Big Talent on CMA Fest’s Small Stages

While the massive nightly shows at Nissan Stadium are the big attraction for many of the thousands of fans headed to CMA Fest, you can see dozens and dozens of rising artists on smaller stages that dot the general Lower Broadway area. There are a couple more stages inside the Music City Center too, which you can access if you pick up a pass for Fan Fair X; there will also be a show at Ascend Amphitheater, and some folks on the rise will also play short sets on the Nissan Platform Stage inside the stadium between the megastars. Read on to learn more about 10 shows that caught our attention, along with scheduling details. Be sure to check the CMA Fest website and the CMA Connect app for the most up-to-date information.

Fancy Hagood

Thursday, June 8, 12:15 p.m. at Hard Rock Stage

Fancy Hagood was an absolute force of nature at folk-pop ace Joy Oladokun’s recent album release show, bringing a stellar band, a powerful voice and sincere storytelling about living life. In Hagood’s case, that happens to be life as a proud gay man with a partner he loves in Nashville, despite how uncomfortable our state legislature seems determined to make it. Listen out for songs from Hagood’s fantastic 2021 country debut Southern Curiosity, a forthcoming record produced by Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne, and maybe a rafter-raising rendition of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” in the style of Bonnie Raitt. STEPHEN TRAGESER

RVSHVD

Thursday, June 8, 8:55 p.m. at Nissan Platform Stage; Sunday, 1:15 p.m. at Chevy Vibes Stage

RVSHVD (pronounced “Rashad”) has a lot more to say than your average country bro, and it comes from writing about what you know. As a young person in Willacoochee, Ga., RVSHVD discovered a talent for improvising country melodies and lyrics over trap beats. He has polished that into a brand of country that wears its roots on its sleeve, with songs like “Hit Different” and his spin on Roddy Ricch’s “Ballin’” joyously flipping the script and demanding that Black music-makers have their place in the country pantheon where they belong — all with humor and a sense of fun. RACHEL CHOLST

Brit Taylor

Friday, June 9, 10:15 a.m. at Maui Jim Reverb Stage

Brit Taylor’s 2020 album Real Me chronicled her disillusionment with the mainstream country industry, her divorce, the death of her beloved dog, the repossession of her farm — and how she climbed her way out of it. She’s on the upswing with her new LP Kentucky Blue. Co-produced by Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson, the album finds Taylor stretching her songwriting legs with a rocking country sound (that isn’t afraid to blend in a little disco) and her contemporary acid wit. Taylor knows how to have a good time — and how to appreciate it after all the bad ones. RACHEL CHOLST

Country Proud feat. Brooke Eden, Shelly Fairchild, Chris Housman, Angie K & Adam Mac

Friday, June 9, 10:15 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. at Hard Rock Stage

Last year, Emily and Jamie Dryburgh’s RNBW organization, a powerful force for community-building among LGBTQ musicians in Nashville, hosted its inaugural Country Proud showcase during CMA Fest — the first specific celebration of queer talent at the fest. It’s back and even bigger this year, with a hard-to-miss spot down by the riverfront and a lineup of artists who pull from a wide range of country traditions but don’t let themselves be bound by them. Angie K draws on Latin dance styles as well as the strong Latino influence on country music in her work, while Adam Mac’s excellent new LP Disco Cowboy is exactly what it says on the jacket. Brooke Eden and Chris Housman hew a little closer to contemporary commercial country, while you’ll get a bit of everything from Shelly Fairchild; these folks have a lot of stories to share, and you’re gonna want to hear them. STEPHEN TRAGESER

Madeline Edwards

Friday, June 9, 4 p.m. at Chevy Riverfront Stage

Madeline Edwards’ voice will stop you in your tracks, so passing by her set is a mistake you’re unlikely to make. Edwards has performed in pretty much every genre you can think of, and her take on pop country in Crashlanded fits her like a glove. The title track captures the isolation of making your way in a world that works against you, while “Mama, Dolly, Jesus” is a rousing song that tells the people responsible for that alienation where to go. Don’t take our word for it, though: The Highwomen invited Edwards to join them for their contribution to the bonus tracks on Lady Gaga’s 10th anniversary reissue of Born This Way, and Chris Stapleton invited her to tour with him. Game recognizes game, after all. RACHEL CHOLST

Dalton Dover

Friday, June 9, 9:40 p.m. at Nissan Platform Stage; Saturday, 2 p.m. at Chevy Vibes Stage

Georgia singer-songwriter Dalton Dover has been one of the most exciting new country artists this year. A triple threat, Dover writes, plays guitar with exceptional skill and belts it out with the best of them. He learned to sing in church, and that shows in his silky voice and arena-ready performances. Dover’s music is part country and part rock, with a little bit of hip-hop and a whole lot of catchy pop hooks. He blew up on TikTok, but he’s no flash in the pan: A chance to catch Dover in person should not be missed. RACHEL CHOLST

Chapel Hart

Friday, June 9, 1:15 p.m. at Chevy Vibes Stage

Caring for your family through the ups and downs of living on earth is a major theme in country music. It’s a driving force for trio Chapel Hart — sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle — and it’s a common thread running through their rocking new LP Glory Days. As they put in the work to build a country career on their own terms, they had a major breakout performance on America’s Got Talent last year and have been burning up the road this year, including performances on the CMT Awards and ACM Awards. It shouldn’t be long before they’re taking some of those trophies home. STEPHEN TRAGESER

Kat & Alex

Saturday, June 10, 12:30 p.m. at Chevy Vibes Stage

Duet partners don’t have to be married in order to sound great. Nashville-residing duo Kat & Alex happen to be both, and they use everything about their connection to make phenomenal music that is heartfelt and feels like it comes from lived experience. They also highlight how much mainstream country music means to Latino people. Last year, Kat & Alex released a fine seven-song set called Side A, and its companion Lado B, which features the same songs sung beautifully in Spanish. STEPHEN TRAGESER

Roberta Lea

Saturday, June 10, 2 p.m. at Spotlight Stage (inside Fan Fair X at the Music City Center)

Going to a Roberta Lea set will make you feel like a part of her family. Lea specializes in songs about the support she’s received from her loved ones to chase her dream of country stardom. And to hear her sing about her home state of Virginia, you’ll wish you were from there, too. Lea’s charisma is matched only by her singing voice, and her recent single “Too Much of a Woman” is too badass a song to be contained by your earbuds. RACHEL CHOLST

Neon Union

Saturday, June 10, 3:35 p.m. at Maui Jim Reverb Stage

Newcomer duo Neon Union, composed of Miami-born Leo Brooks and North Carolina-raised Andrew Millsaps, has a chemistry that borders on the magical. Brooks notched his belt in the Miami club scene, and he’s worked with the likes of Lauryn Hill and J. Lo, while Millsaps cut his teeth writing songs as a teenager in Surry County — home to Mount Airy, the small town that inspired Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. The two harmonize as if they’ve known each other their whole lives and bring an intriguing mix of country, pop and R&B to the table. No wonder they’ve toured with both Pitbull (in whose touring band Brooks has played bass) and Scotty McCreery. RACHEL CHOLST