Trend Management, Cowboy Couture, Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, and more…Ignite CMA Fest Eve!

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

As hundreds of thousands from across the world descended upon Nashville to be part of the country music party of the year, CMA Fest, many different spaces around the city played host to kick off parties, soirees, and music showcases.

However, the place to be the night before the big event officially kicked off was the Hampton Social…and more specifically the Sip & Sound Saloon!

Crafted by Trend Management, who raised a toast to their one-year anniversary of expanding to Nashville, their western inspired saloon that transformed the rooftop welcomed a high-fashion crowd dressed to the nines in “cowboy couture,” mixing and mingling with plates of upscaled noshes and specialty cocktails in hand as today’s emerging talent fused together with performances by two, top-tiered ACM award winners.

Emceed by Extra correspondent Alecia Davis, the night of acoustic music radiated the buzz permeating the venue from the saloon-inspired portrait area to the dancefloor in front of the Sonos Stage as each next act set the tone of the night with a display of their latest music, flashes of what’s next, and an overall snapshot of the tight-knit music community here in town.

Where Australian import Wesley Dean introduced himself and his music with songs such as “Tennessee Road,” highly buzzed about talent Jordana Bryant not only gifted the early arrivers with her brand-new single “Saddle Up,” but she also offered glimpses of her next, including an ultra-new tune that challenged Taylor Swift to run for president.

Fresh off dates with the Brothers Osborne and gearing up for a run with Chris Stapleton, Madeline Edwards captivated the crowd with her soulfully country, blues jazz interludes as she paid homage to her future tourmate with “Tennessee Whiskey” as well as delivering a stunning version of “The Wolves,” both a part of her 10-minute showcase that spotlighted why she’s been named by Spotify as a “Hot Country Artist to Watch,” Apple Music as a “Country Riser,” and CMT as a “Next Women of Country.”

Following the girl power trend that started with Bryant, and the CMT Next Women of Country honors that Edwards brought to the stage, the next 4 acts to play carried both of those same two distinctions.

Mackenzie Carpenter, flanked by her brother Micah on guitar, showcased the many different layers of who she is as an artist and songwriter, balancing her current, rock edged single “Sound Of A Heartbreak” against her irresistibly catchy, tongue and cheek wittiness on the unreleased “Gone Fishin’” and her breakout hit, “Huntin’ Season.”

However, underneath the layers of her own artist career sits someone who clearly understands that the heartbeat of Nashville lies within the songwriter. Causing cell phones to litter the air in an “I have to capture this” moment, Mackenzie immediately had everyone singing along with her as she dove into the Megan Moroney smash “I’m Not Pretty,” a song which both she and her brother Micah are co-writers on with Ben Williams and Megan.

With the hush hush, two-day early announcement that her debut album Breakup Over Breakfast would be dropping next month, Avery Anna put her powerful vocals on proper display as she drove through emotional tugs to provide a snapshot of her entire career thus far.

Travelling back to her very first release, “Just Cause I Love You,” followed by one of her newest with the alternative rock kissed “Make It Look Easy,” she offered a look at her songwriting prowess and willingness to take risks with this current output of music before pulling in the crowd with each passing note of “narcissist,” bringing conversations to a murmur across the rooftop while fluctuating her voice around each word so that they cut like a knife.

Where newly signed Universal Music Nashville Recording Artist Carter Faith delighted with catalog songs such as “Leaving Tennessee,” Laci Kaye Booth displayed the edges of rawness embedded into her voice through a song selection that balanced the moody drip of the autobiographical “Cigarettes” against the smokey neon of “Damn Good In A Dive Bar.”

However, while Wesley Dean kicked off the night as the lone male artist on the bill up to this point, the 1-2 punch of ACM Winner and five-time # 1 artist Russell Dickerson and the 2024 ACM Song of the Year winner, Jordan Davis, offered perfect bookends to tap an incredible evening.

With the rooftop now packed tightly, and the dance floor springing to life, Dickerson carried his laid-back vibe into his 20-minute, late night set with “She Likes It,” immediately inducing hip pops as everyone slow swayed in rhythm while providing harmony as they showered him with each and every word.

Through a hit parade of songs that included “Blue Tacoma,” “Yours,” and Every Little Thing,” Dickerson’s very inviting personality shined right down the middle of each addictive melody as he encouraged everyone to fill up the dance floor, sing the words back to him, and even pulled an audible when he played “I Remember” via a requested shout-out from the crowd.

Jordan Davis, much like Dickerson before him, allowed his personality to speak volumes; although his more so through the songs themselves and the richness of his voice. Interactions with the crowd were masked in his pure humbleness as he hit into a catalog of songs that endearingly kept everyone singing along with these snapshot mementos of real life.

Opening with his recent #1 song “Tucson Too Late,” he then gave way to a set that included ACM Song of the Year “Next Thing You Know,” “Buy Dirt,” and by request from the crowd, “Take It From Me,” all before he’d close the entire night with an incredible performance of “What My World Spins Around,” stamping an exclamation point on the music as the clock neared the 11 O’clock hour.

CMA Fest is a total music overload. So many stages, so many artists, and so many of your favorite songs. And while this incredible lineup certainly made an impression that lasted all weekend long, what was done so matter of fact was how the music sat firmly in the accenting position.

The food was top-notch, the drink specials continually poured, the western inspired photo booth was an extra special touch, and each act that took the Sonos Stage certainly drew the crowd’s eyes and ears, but the focused vibe of the night stayed in total celebration mode of Trend Management, giving them an amazing advertisement for who they are and what they do as they offered a night worth remembering while diligently stamping their brand at the top of your CMA Fest memories!