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VOL. 38 | NO. 22 | Friday, May 30, 2014
Want to see a free concert? Here’s the deal
CMA week is a free for all – well, some of it is anyway. Any concert, event or activity held at an outdoor space during the 2014 CMA Music Festival is free and open to the public.
The marquee events, nightly concerts scheduled for June 5-8 at LP Field, have been sold out for months, so don’t expect to see Tim McGraw or Keith Urban performing in the park, but the festival prides itself on offering up well-known acts, old favorites and rising stars along with the superstars.
The free music begins the night before the festival’s official start, with the Kick-off Concert, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m., on Wednesday, June 4, at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, featuring Shooter Jennings, the Marshall Tucker Band, The Grascals and others.
The Riverfront venue will be non-stop music, all day, all week. On Thursday, Big & Rich open the four days of free concerts, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (Four-day ticket holders are welcome to enter the park first at 9 a.m. The general public is welcome at 9:45 a.m.)
The Bud Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza will offer free concerts, 10:30 am.-5 p.m. each day.
The Walk of Fame Park featuring the Samsung Galaxy Stage presents daily free concerts, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. The park is on Demonbreun between Fourth and Fifth avenues.
The Buckle area takes up three blocks of Broadway, First to Fourth, with a variety of activities for fans, and free performances by ASCAP songwriters and artists at the Buckle Stage, Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Buckle area will also be open on Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., as the ABC TV network offers up its Summer Block Party with special guests and performances.
Fan Alley, in front of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Fourth Avenue South, is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Chevrolet Roadhouse Stage is in Fan Alley and features concerts with rising talent, noon-3 p.m. each day.
BMI Tailgate party is outside LP Field and features BMI songwriters and artists before the nightly concerts.