During a weekend that’s bound to be full of surprise guests, collaborations and performances, night one of CMA Fest kicked off in Nashville in style last night. With an opening lineup consisting of Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Ella Langley, Jason Aldean and Darius Rucker on the mainstage at Nissan Stadium, the stars were out in full force in Music City.
After Aldean kicked his eight-song setlist off with “Hicktown” and “Trouble With a Heartbreak,” the “You Make It Easy” singer surprised the crowd and brought out none other than Travis Tritt for a performance of his 2001 smash hit, “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive.”
At first, it seemed as if Aldean was simply paying homage to the 90’s country legend with a cover, singing the first verse and chorus solo. After finishing the chorus, however, he brought Tritt out to the stage, which was met with a huge roar from the fans in attendance.
“It’s a Great Day To be Alive” has undoubtedly become the biggest hit of Tritt’s career over the years. Despite it not hitting #1 upon its release in December of 2000 (peaking at #2 behind Jessica Andrew’s “Who I Am”), the track has remained the most popular song in his discography in the streaming age and has racked up a mammoth 314 million streams on Spotify alone. It would also net the 62-year-old singer/songwriter an ACM Award nomination for Single Record of the Year in 2002.
The 48-year-old singer would proceed to wrap up night one of CMA Fest with his current single and 30th #1 hit, “Whiskey Drink,” as well as past hits such as “Dirt Road Anthem,” “My Kinda Party” and “She’s Country.”
Aldean recently kicked off his Full Throttle Tour featuring Nate Smith and Raelynn back on May 23rd. Upcoming tour dates include the following:
- July 17 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
- July 18 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
- July 19 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
- July 24 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
- July 25 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
- July 26 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
- Aug 7 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
- Aug 8 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
- Aug 9 — Pittsburgh, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
- Aug 14 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
Watch here: