Abbey Cone
Abbey Cone
Abbey Cone
Abbey Cone
Independent country powerhouse Abbey Cone brought sweet, sustained vocals and relatable lyricism to the CMA Fest Amp stage. During “Hate Me,” a playful twist on a breakup song, Cone declares “If you don’t love me I hope that you hate me.” Her elastic vocal range and energetic stage presence made her set an essential one to catch.
- Madeleine Bradford
Photos Courtesy of Lillie Hollabaugh (For Bell Music Magazine)
Reyna Roberts
Reyna Roberts
Reyna Roberts
Reyna Roberts
Reyna Roberts’ commanding stage presence and rockstar energy made her take to the Hard Rock stage incredibly fitting. During songs “He Gon’ Be A Problem,” “Louisiana” and “A Hundred,” Roberts’ striking vocal growl elevated her performance and heightened the crowd’s excitement. Roberts climbed off the stage and interacted with fans from the barricade, showcasing her fun, energetic personality. From beginning to end, the sounds of Roberts’ prominent voice and powerful band soared over Broadway and left a lasting impression.
- Madeleine Bradford
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
Laci Kaye Booth
Laci Kaye Booth
Laci Kaye Booth
Laci Kaye Booth
Laci Kaye Booth introduced herself at CMA Fest’s Reverb stage by playfully explaining that she’s “been making cowboys cry since 1999.” Booth sat with her acoustic Gibson and tenderly performed songs from her new album "The Loneliest Girl In The World". Her intricate storytelling was wonderfully displayed during “Cigarettes,” which comments on past relationships and her experience working in the music industry. Her smoky tone, silky vibrato and sustained belt added to the warm, swayable quality of each track.
- Madeleine Bradford
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat, a queen of country songwriting, graced the Riverfront stage and performed some of her greatest hits to an adoring crowd. This two time Grammy winner has had an incredible legacy career dating back to her iconic song “Bubbly” in 2007 in addition to co-writing and working with some of the music industry’s biggest names such as Sheryl Crow and Taylor Swift. Riverfront’s audience soaked in Caillat’s irresistible music and by the end was singing every word back to her of her song “Brighter Than The Sun”.
- Lillie Hollabaugh
Photos Courtesy of Lillie Hollabaugh (For Bell Music Magazine)
Mason Ramsey
Mason Ramsey
Mason Ramsey
Mason Ramsey
Crowds flocked to the Reverb stage and curiously waited to hear the infamous “yodeling boy,” 17-year-old Mason Ramsey, sing live at CMA Fest. After going viral in 2018, Ramsey began releasing music and has now attempted to develop a more mature artist persona. During his set, Ramsey slapped his knee, waved his arms and shook his entire body, all while singing in a notably lower register. He performed “Shake Shake,” “Blue Over You” and Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” to a crowd of audience members so amused that they couldn’t help but cheer.
- Madeleine Bradford
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
Dylan Gossett
Dylan Gossett
Dylan Gossett
Dylan Gossett
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Dylan Gossett shared his powerful and vulnerable music with the CMA Fest Riverfront Stage. Gaining rapid Internet stardom and turning that traction into a flourishing country music career, Gossett has gained over 5.5 million listeners on Spotify and several millions of streams on songs such as “Coal” and “To Be Free”. Gossett is revered for his ability to capture emotion in his lyrics and bear his heart in his music.
- Lillie Hollabaugh
Photos Courtesy of Lillie Hollabaugh (For Bell Music Magazine)
Matt Koziol
Matt Koziol
Matt Koziol
Matt Koziol
The man currently touring with Whiskey Myers, Matt Koziol, took the stage at the Hard Rock on Friday evening. He opened with “Which Way to Heaven”, the first track off his new album ‘Last of the Old Dogs’. From the second he stepped on stage, he had a deep southern groove which had everyone moving. Later in the set, he played “Old Fashioned” from his new album. The song was written and sung with Isaac from 49 Winchester and everyone loved it. He closed his set with “You Better Run, Son” and it was definitely a closing song to remember.
- Ashlee Riggins
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
Eli Winders
Eli Winders
Eli Winders
Eli Winders
Even though he’s a fresh face in the country scene, Eli Winders has quickly gained a following on socials/streaming services, and that number will definitely go up after his first performance at the CMA Fest. Eli gave us a taste of unreleased music and started the night with “Party at Rock Bottom” which was a fun song that was reminiscent of early 2000’s country. Later, he slowed the set down with “Carolina Blue” but immediately brought the energy back with his latest single “Two Wheel Drive Cowboy”. According to Eli, the last song was about “breaking up with your girlfriend and quitting your job the same day”, which is fitting for the song title “Two Birds, One Stone”.
- Ashlee Riggins
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
