Eric Church finished his short CMA Fest set at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night (June 10), but some fans wanted more.
After a long period of applause under darkened skies, the lights came up, signaling the end to the night. Typically, a night-closing artist only gets to play six or seven songs at Nissan Stadium, but there was nothing typical of Church’s set. Reimagined versions of songs like “Drink in My Hand” mixed with funkier versions of “Bad Mother Trucker.” A cover of Little Feat’s “Sailing Shoes” was a highlight for his longtime fans.
Those seeing him for the first time wanted “Springsteen” and didn’t get it. That — combined with an expected, and arguably hinted-at encore that never came — upset a few fans, and they expressed displeasure, while others raved about what they saw.
Contrary to what you may see on Twitter (he played seven songs, not four), he finished “Smoke a Little Smoke,” thanked the crowd, basked in the applause for a few seconds and walked off stage.
Church closed a fairly straight-forward night at CMA Fest. There were no special guest appearances, and solo men (Jason Aldean, Jon Pardi, Tracy Lawrence) brought grit and classic country to the stage.
Old Dominion and Little Big Town thrilled with their hits, as well. In total, fans enjoyed more than 40 song titles.
Related: How To Watch 2023 CMA Fest On TV
Josh Turner, Ashley McBryde, Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan will bring 2023 CMA Fest to a close on Sunday night (June 11). See photos from all three days below.
Pictures: 2023 CMA Fest, Days 1-4
See pictures from Day 1 of CMA Fest 2023. The 50th annual CMA Fest in Nashville featured Nissan Stadium performances from Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, Tyler Hubbard and more. Plus pictures of Lainey Wilson with Lauren Alaina and Lukas Nelson.
Day 2 features highlights from Tanya Tucker, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Hardy.
Day 3 includes photo highlights from Tracy Lawrence, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi and Eric Church.
Day 4 featured performances by Josh Turner, Ashley McBryde, Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan. Plus, Alabama received the CMA Pinnacle Award.