Lauren Alaina, Bill Anderson, Randy Houser, Love and Theft, Kip Moore, Kellie Pickler, Gwen Sebastian, and Steel Magnolia to Give Acoustic Performances; David Nail to Perform with Nashville School of the Arts Chamber Choir

More artists have been added to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during 2012 CMA Music Festival, featuring two acoustic performance sets each night.

Kellie Pickler and last year’s “American Idol” runner up Lauren Alaina will each perform acoustically on Thursday, June 7.  Randy Houser and “The Voice” contestant Gwen Sebastian will each perform on Friday, June 8.  The duo Love and Theft and Kip Moore will each perform on Saturday, June 9.  Country Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson and duo Steel Magnolia will each perform on Sunday, June 10.

During Opening Ceremonies on Thursday, June 7, David Nail will perform the title track of his album The Sound of a Million Dreams with the previously-announced Nashville School of the Arts Chamber Choir (under the direction of Walter Bitner). The Nashville School of the Arts has been a recipient of funds from CMA’s Keep the Music Playing program, which benefits music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Having a father who is a highly regarded high school band director, taught Nail to be a life-long supporter of music education.

Storme Warren, executive producer/host of GAC’s “Headline Country” will host the Nightly Concerts on Thursday, June 7; actress/comedienne Melissa Peterman, host of CMT’s “The Singing Bee,” will host on Saturday, June 9; and Evan Farmer, host of CMT’s “Top 20 Countdown” will host on Sunday, June 10. The host for Friday, June 8 will be announced soon.   

The current lineups for the Nightly Concerts are as follows in alphabetical order:

Thursday, June 7:
Full band performances: Jason Aldean, Glen Campbell, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley,and Zac Brown Band

Acoustic performances :Lauren Alaina and Kellie Pickler

Special performance: David Nail with the Nashville School of the Arts Chamber Choir (under the direction of Walter Bitner)

National Anthem performer: Nashville School of the Arts Chamber Choir (under the direction of Walter Bitner)

Host: Storme Warren (GAC’s “Headline Country”)

Friday, June 8:
Full band performances: The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Ronnie Milsap, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood

Acoustic performances: Randy Houser and Gwen Sebastian

National Anthem performer: Oak Ridge Boys

Host: To be announced soon

Saturday, June 9:  
Full band performances: Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, and Kenny Rogers

Acoustic performances: Love and Theft and Kip Moore

National Anthem performer: Julie Roberts

Host: Melissa Peterman (CMT’s “The Singing Bee”) 

Sunday, June 10:  
Full band performances: Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, and Rascal Flatts

Acoustic performances: Bill Anderson and Steel Magnolia

National Anthem performer: Sarah Darling

Host: Evan Farmer (CMT’s “Top 20 Countdown”)

Tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts are $40 (plus applicable handling fees) for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field. Fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1 (800) 745-3000. They can also purchase them through CMAfest.com or 1 (800) CMA-FEST (262-3378).

Four-day ticket packages are also available, from only $125 per person plus handling fees. Four-day ticket package categories correspond to varying levels of seating at LP Field and include admittance to all four Nightly Concerts as well as all daytime Festival activities, including the Fan Fair Fall where artist autograph signing sessions are held. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE. For information on ADA seating, please call 1-800-CMA-FEST.

Ticket prices and artists are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.    

Fans can stay in the loop by visiting CMAfest.com, the official website of CMA Music Festival, where they can sign up for the CMA Exclusive e-news; connect with CMA socially on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest; play games; and of course see the entire lineup of Country Music’s biggest stars as they are announced for the event.

CMA Music Festival celebrates the unique relationship between Country Music artists and their fans in the heart of Music City USA. The artists participate for free, and on their behalf, CMA has donated half the net proceeds of the Festival to support music education through the Keep the Music Playing program.

To date, more than $6.1 million has been donated to purchase musical instruments and supplies, providing thousands of students in Metro Nashville Public Schools with the resources and opportunities they could not have afforded on their own, and giving many of them a strong reason to remain in school. The total also includes a $1 million endowment gift for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words & Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting.

Featuring concerts, autograph signings, family activities, and more, CMA Music Festival is the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience – a four-day celebration of America’s music. In 2011, the event drew a record-setting 65,000 fans from all 50 states and 26 nations and, for the second consecutive year, sold out in advance each night at LP Field for the star-packed Nightly Concerts. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, direct visitor spending generated by the Festival totaled more than $30 million. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).

CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the ninth consecutive year that the event has been filmed    for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. CBS aired the first CMA Music Festival special in 2004, with ABC airing it from 2005 onward through 2021. "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton. 

CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA. Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the CMA Music Festival. BIC is an Official Partner of the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Bad Boy Buggies are the Official UTV of the CMA Music Festival.  Connect with CMA online at CMAfest.com, Facebook.com/CMA and Twitter.com/CountryMusic.