The beer and music flowed on the first day of Billboard Presents Bud Light Backyard at CMA Fest, as fans took a break from the Nashville heat and were treated to some great performances from some of today's hottest artists at a jam-packed Tin Roof at Lower Broadway on Friday. (June 7).
Fans enjoyed line dancing lessons on the first floor between acts, then packed the second floor for headlining sets from Corey Kent, Dalton Dover and Alana Springsteen.
Kent, an RCA Nashville artist and Oklahoma native, gained the attention of major labels after “Wild as Her” began climbing the charts in 2022, based on the stream. After signing with RCA Nashville, Kent scored his first major hit as the song reached No. 3 Advertising signMap of Country Airplay.
UMG Nashville/Mercury Records artist Dover first caught the eyes and ears of fans with his well-chosen covers on TikTok before going on to release his own songs including “You Got a Small Town” and ” Baby I Am”. His debut radio single, “Giving Up on That”, was the most added track at radio upon its release.
Springsteen, who first picked up a guitar at age 7 and was writing her own songs with top Nashville songwriters by age 10, released her debut album, Twenty somethinglast year on Columbia Records New York/Sony Music Nashville.
The free two-day event, open to anyone 21+, is a collaboration between Advertising sign and Bud Light which also includes branded content running across the two brands' digital channels throughout 2024. Performances continue with LOCASH, George Birge and Dasha, who will perform on Saturday (June 8).
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Corey Kent brings the audience to life
Image credit: Mary Hannah Harte
Corey Kent opened the first day of shows with a high-octane set that began with the romantic “Gold,” before completely switching emotional tracks and moving into a passionate, desperate version of current single, “This Heart.”
“There's something you should know about us,” he told the attentive crowd. “I'm from Oklahoma and I want you to think about this next song, a bunch of boys from Oklahoma paying at CMA Fest,” before launching into a raucous, hard rock performance of the Beatles' “Come Together.” The daring version had fans raising their drinks and singing along.
Kent then returned to his own material with the driving 'Something's Gonna Kill Me'. With lyrics like “there's no way around it, one day I'm gonna die,” the song should be a laugh, but instead, with its beat, it's a celebration of soaking up every moment of LIFE. “Feeling alive, Nashville?” Corey asked, to an enthusiastic yes. He followed with the lively, pulsating “Wild as Her,” which reached No. 3 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart. “If you know this next part, scream it at the top of your lungs,” he urged the audience, who happily complied.
“We can't play Billboard Presents Bud Light Backyard Light without playing a drinking song, so cheers, everybody,” Kent said before launching into set closer 'Ain't My Day,' which provided the same party vibes with 'Drink' by Eric Church. in my hand.” “Make some noise if you're drinking tonight,” Kent shouted before leading the audience into a famous song to see which portion of the crowd could sing along the loudest.
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Dalton Dover Delivers Soulful, Robust Set
Image credit: Gina Di Maio
Dalton Dover opened his set with a powerful “You Need a Rock”, his raspy voice immediately captivating the crowd, followed by his ode to rural life, “You Got a Small Town”.
Dover then infused Dobie Gray's “Drift Away” with an intense, rough edge as his drummer added some funk to the classic. Dover switched gears with the rocking “Alcohol of Fame,” which proved perfect for the setting, especially when paired with his current single, the steely, 90s-esque “Bury Me in This Bar.” It was a powerful one-two combination that had the crowd dancing and singing along.
This was followed by 'Night to Go', a swinging rocker, before slowing it down with the rich, sensual 'Baby I Am'. Dover then returned to the covers, this time with a soulful, muscular version of Alicia Keys' “If I Ain't Got You,” which he stated was one of his favorite songs while leading a group .
After leading the audience in a rousing toast, he closed his show with the fan-requested, mid-tempo, hard-hitting 'Giving Up on That'.
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Alana Springsteen shines in high-energy performances
Image credit: Mary Hannah Harte
As the afternoon turned into evening, Alana Springsteen took the stage to a packed room. He opened with a steamy kiss on “You Don't Deserve a Country Song,” telling the crowd, “I've written a lot of songs about guys that have broken my heart,” before vowing to spend no more energy on them.
Springsteen, who will release a new album by the end of the year, used the opportunity to showcase a number of new songs that showcased her stunning vocals, including the mid-tempo “Cowboy,” which had a bit of a Sheryl Crow vibe. . as well as the flirtatious 'Look I Like', which is catchy, 'When you came in, oh my god, you had that look I like'.
But things turned dark again on the strange, sleazy “Ghost in My Guitar,” a track from Twenty something which included Chris Stapleton.
“I started coming to Nashville when I was 10,” the Virginia Beach native said. “I remember dreaming of playing a CMA Fest,” she continued, noting that this was her second year at the event. “I'm living my dream right now. This is awesome.”
She then treated the rapturous crowd to two new tunes with her silky voice gliding over the galloping notes, the western-themed 'Lovergirl' and the vintage 'Hold My Beer', before closing with 'Goodbye Looks Good on You”. which he recorded as a duet with Mitchell Tenpenny.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/billboard-bud-light-backyard-cma-fest-corey-kent-dalton-dover-alana-springsteen/
