CMA Fest: Lainey Wilson and 8 other can't miss acts to see on Day One

Ninety degrees with a light wind blowing should make Day One of CMA Fest's 50th-anniversary slate of events somewhat tolerable for -- if you're one of the expected 80,000 visitors from 42 countries and all 50 United States -- standing outside for the better part of twelve consecutive hours of country music.

As the Country Music Reporter here at The Tennessean, it's my job to, day-by-day, take a broad yet nuanced survey of the genre at-large. Accordingly, I've taken a look at the full scope of the day's events at CMA Fest and for Thursday, here's what I believe could create -- outside of the evening's slate of performers at Nissan Stadium -- some of the potential highlights of CMA Fest's first morning and afternoon.

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

• Riverfront Stage:

  • CMA Fest 2023 starts with the CMA's reigning Female Artist of the Year, Lainey Wilson. You've unquestionably heard "Heart Like A Truck" and "Things A Man Oughta Know" now, ad nauseum, likely. However, "Bell Bottom Country" album cuts like "Grease" and her latest radio single -- the lovesick ballad "Watermelon Moonshine" -- are worth your time, too. Also, if you hear her cover of Rick Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo" or The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," the rock n' roll influence that's prominent in country at present will become evident.

  • Elvie Shane is another swamp-rocking charismatic Southerner. The Kentucky native's latest single, "Baptized," is a chunky bit of religious, beat-driven soul. As well, there's his quarantine-era favorite, "My Boy" (if you're partnered with a parent of a child that's not your own, but you love like they are anyway, it'll jerk a tear) and similar to Wilson, his Rolling Stones cover album "Stoned Cold Country" cover of "Sympathy For The Devil" is a showstopper.

  • Grand Ole Opry member Lauren Alaina's back, now Big Loud-signed and releasing a new EP soon. Her performance on Kane Brown's 2016 No. 1 ballad "What Ifs" is a stunning vocal effort. Also, her HARDY duet, "One Beer," is perhaps one of the best songs about teenage pregnancy in country music's -- or any genre's -- modern history. She delivers a fun set that will be familiar and fun for the CMA Fest-goer who is primarily only familiar with the genre via country radio.

  • Wyoming-born Ian Munsick is Western music royalty; his father and brothers are regionally-renowned musicians. If you're in any way a fan of hard farm or ranch labor -- plus a heart seeking or finding love, his Cody Johnson duet "Long Live Cowgirls" is one of the genre's sleeper top-tier waltzes of recent memory. His 2023-released album "White Buffalo also breezily blends influences from the prairie-dwelling Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Sioux Indians near his hometown.

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1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Spotify House at Ole Red: Are you a fan of Luke Combs? Want to see one of his favorite up-and-coming bands? Americana Music Awards-nominated Group of the Year 49 Winchester are playing the stage indoors at Ole Red. The Castlewood, Virginia-natives' single "Russell County Line" is a grooving, rootsy ear-wormer, while "All I Need," advocates for not being in debt, having "a real good woman" and "a pretty good dog that don't s**t in the house." It could be one of the most real lyrics you'll hear all four days at CMA Fest.

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3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

• Reverb Stage: Do you have that one friend in your CMA Fest crew that loves candy cigarettes, blinged-out flasks, trap music and Ashley McBryde? Or, are you that friend? Either way, Nicolette "Pillbox Patti" Hayford occupies the intersection of Kid Rock and Loretta Lynn. Her 2022-released debut EP "Florida" contains tracks like "Eat Pray Drugs," "Suwannee" ("Lawnchair lizards, gas station gizzards / Layin' there, waitin' on a hurricane") plus "Valentine's Day," a heart-wrenching torch song about abortion. She's also featured on McBryde's recent "Ashley McBryde presents: Lindeville" album as a contributor. It'll be a wild hour, for sure.

4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.

• Vibes Stage: Kentuckian Dillon Carmichael has one of the more stunning, traditional near baritone tenors in country music. So if you're in desperate need of "real country music" after almost eight hours of hearing the broad diversity of sounds and styles in the contemporary genre, hurry to the Vibes stage for his performance. His single "Son of A" is one of those songs that, while it may never be a No. 1 on country radio, is undeniably what the genre -- from a vocal and storytelling perspective -- is earnestly all about. He's well worth your time and ears.

5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.

• Riverfront Stage: You'll want to see Bailey Zimmerman perform to understand what all of the hype is about. Then, somewhere into watching an entire crowd of young women singing love songs like "Fall in Love," "Rock and a Hard Place" and "Religiously" at the top of their lungs, it'll make sense. The 23-year-old crooner is a pop superstar in the making. The Illinois native doesn't dance or rap, though. He's a country vocalist whose mother groomed him on the sounds of artists like Joe Nichols. Try to deny yourself the giddy pleasures of what could be the most eager sing-a-long moment of CMA Fest's first afternoon. Even the hardest heart will fail at the attempt.

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12:30 a.m. - ????

• Spotify House at Ole Red

  • Did Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Tyler Hubbard and Dan + Shay not tire you out at Nissan Stadium? Amazing. Well, DJ Diplo's brought his Stagecoach Festival-beloved "Thomas Wesley" project to CMA Fest for the first time. He'll be DJing a blend of songs from his new project (listen out for the Avicii-style vibes of Parker McCollum-featuring "Lonely Long" and the disco stylings of Lily Rose's "Sad In The Summer") plus a slew of danceable traditional country favorites.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Fest Thursday lineup: Lainey Wilson leads list of must-see acts