The best week of the year in Nashville — aka CMA Fest — is officially here, and there’s no better way to kick if off then with a special concert by Thomas Rhett.
The 2020 ACM Entertainer of the Year teamed up with SiriusXM and Pandora for their special Pandora Live concert on Tuesday (June 7) at Marathon Music Works in the heart of Music City. The event was a free, RSVP only show for SiriusXM subscribers and Pandora listeners, and was a taste of what fans could expect from Rhett’s Bring The Bar To You Tour which kicks off in Gilford, New Hampshire next Friday (June 17).
Sponsored by Magnum Ice Cream, MGM Rewards, Tire Rack, USAA 100, Zaxby’s and Viva Las Vegas, fans were able to experience Insta-worthy activations (and receive some fun goodies) before Pandora 2022 Artist to Watch and Bring The Bar To You Tour opener Conner Smith took the stage for a captivating performance.
Smith — who gained viral fame after posting a song on TikTok about how much he hates Alabama’s football team — got the crowd going with lively covers of Luke Bryan and Big & Rich. The 21-year-old also gave fans a taste of his original music by performing songs from his debut EP, Didn’t Go Too Far, including “Take It Slow,” “Learn From It,” and the song that started it all — “I Hate Alabama.”
Thomas Rhett then hit the stage for an hour-long set filled with new hits, classics and even fan favorites from his latest record Where We Started.
Kicking things off with his chart-topper “Craving You,” the 32-year-old singer/songwriter then took time to share his excitement for playing a show like this before CMA Fest begins tomorrow (June 9). He showed gratitude to those who traveled from all over to see not only see him, but hundreds of other artists throughout the four-day event.
“Country music fans are the best people in the world! Who else travels from all of the freakin’ world to be in Nashville for one week just to see country music? Crazy,” he said onstage.
The big moment of the night was when Rhett performed his hot, new summertime anthem “Half Of Me!” The country crooner had the crowd losing 😱 their 😱 minds as fellow country singer Riley Green made his way to the stage — with guitar in hand — to sing his parts in the feel-good duet.
Following “Half Of Me,” the award-winning singer/songwriter performed songs like “Beer Can’t Fix,” “Country Again,” “Life Changes,” “Look What God Gave Her” and “Vacation” before bringing out classics like “Crash & Burn,” “Unforgettable” and “T-Shirt.”
He ended the night with “What’s Your Country Song” from Country Again (Side A), leaving the venue filled with confetti and an audience roaring with applause.
Before he kicks off the Bring The Bar To You Tour with Parker McCollum and Conner Smith, Rhett will perform at Nissan Stadium during the 2022 CMA Music Festival on Friday, June 10.
Missed the show in Nashville? Or want to relive the best moments from last night’s show? No worries! Pandora will present several songs on July 13 at 9pm ET / 6PM PT from Rhett’s performance during Pandora LIVE in the 615: THOMAS RHETT virtual event, which will also feature a sit down, in-depth interview between the “Die A Happy Man” singer and SiriusXM’s Storme Warren. You can RSVP for the virtual event HERE.
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