CMA Fest 2024: Saturday, June 8th
CMA FEST: Day 3 - June 8, 2024
It's as if the morning glory gods blessed me with timeliness this morning. I was amazed at how easy it was rolling into downtown. With time to spare, I met my friend Afton at Bongo Java in the Omni. There's nothing like an ice-cold coffee in hand before catching the first performance of the day.
As we made our way up to the Dr Pepper Stage to catch Brooklyn Cowboy, GASHI, I could hear music coming through the loudspeakers. His show had begun. Racing through the gates, we scurried up to the stage and, luckily, we had our pick of standing positions.
The song he was performing as we walked up was a cover of LIVE’s hit, “Lightning Crashes.” As he finished the song, he smiled at us and proceeded to shout out a fellow neighbor from back home whom he recognized in the crowd. A sweet exchange between two New Yorkers.
Between sharing some background in the form of short stories, he jumped into his next song, “Why Can’t I.” This song is one he wrote during a trip to Muscle Shoals, AL. While it doesn't take much to decipher what it's about, he mentioned it was a dedication to his ex-fiancé.
GASHI was definitely in a mood, considering he followed that song with a cover of Natalie Imbruglia's 90s classic, “Torn.” As he transitioned to the next song, he prefaced it with a bit of vulnerability. “Midnight Sun” was written after experiencing hard times between 2020 and 2023. The song is an ode to his unborn son.
The crowds began to thicken, but I realized it was time to head up to the Music City Center to prep for my interview with none other than the Brooklyn Cowboy himself.
It’s almost déjà vu. This time last year, on this exact stage, it was K. Michelle making her debut in the Country Music space. However, this time around, it was LARRY GASHI. The Albanian rapper has officially entered his Country Music era.
I am so glad I allotted myself the time I did to set up for my interview with GASHI. My wireless mics were dead, and I was panicking that there would be no time to charge them.
As if my intuition could not be more on point, I happened to pack a backup microphone that morning. All this to say, I was determined to make this interview happen.
GASHI is everything I could imagine and more. As a fan of his for years now, it was surreal to meet and chat with him about everything under the sun.
We just clicked! It could also be that we are both Libras, who can talk to a brick wall if needed.
Stay tuned for that interview, which will go live soon!
After a much-needed coffee break in an air-conditioned space, Afton and I made our way to the Chevy Vibes Stage to catch Kassi Ashton.
Walking through the gates, it looked like we were just in time to catch the last few minutes of Blanco Brown’s set. He had the crowd going wild, that’s for sure.
While we waited for Kassi’s performance, I caught a glimpse of the Gorgeous Gypsy. She stood less than six feet from me, and I was mesmerized. If there is a picture next to the definition of cool, it’s hers.
Kassi graced the stage in her stunning sequin top and boyfriend jeans, looking absolutely breathtaking in her outfit. From the moment she stepped on stage, I was in awe of her presence.
She kicked off the show with my favorite song, "Crazy." The energy was top tier as the crowd joined in, singing along to every word. Kassi's connection with her audience was evident as she transitioned smoothly into her next song, "Heavyweight," delivering the lyrics with raw emotion.
Next up was "Taxidermy," a song that had the crowd swaying to its unique rhythm. Kassi's humor shone through as she joked about the microphone being set for a tall person, quipping that if you're going to cry into a beer, it might as well be to "I Don't Go Back."
The set continued with Kassi blessing us with her latest release, "I Don’t Wanna Dance." Despite the song's title, she danced the entire time, much to the delight of the audience. It was a beautiful irony, and we loved every moment of it.
Before wrapping up, Kassi shared a powerful message with the crowd: "If there’s one thing you should walk away with today, it’s this: Whoever you are, whoever you wanna be... you can be that. There are no boxes here. If anything makes you feel less than, kick its ass out." YAS Queen!
Shout out to SiriusXM’s The Highway for having us as well! We arrived a short time after 5:30P and greeted by a line of people wrapped around the staircase of the Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville bar.
The good thing was we had Marley on our side who graciously hooked Up In the Mix up with the VIP treatment.
Walking through the private entrance closed off to the public, I recognized many industry faces who I imagine were there in support of their label artists.
Midland was mid-song as we made our way.
Fortunately for us, Koe Wetzel was set to hit the stage in just a few. I would say this was the perfect way to end this beautiful, Saturday night.
CMA Fest was a blast! Though I am sad the festivities on Day 4 was cut short due to weather, I am beyond grateful Up In the Mix was able to partake in the action for its 3rd consecutive year.
Until then, see you all next year!
Thank you for having me, CMA.
