Last night Rhapsody and CMT hosted a private event, displaying some of the hottest country acts.  We enjoyed music and performances by Caitlin & Will, Gloriana, Luke Bryan, and Jack Ingram…On top of dancin and singin along to our favorite songs, on-lookers also got to meet each performer.

 Caitlin & Will were the winners of the first season of “Can You Duet.”  I enjoyed their performances on the show, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from them live.  Even though the duo still needs to grow in the ‘entertainment’ part of their act; their harmonies and musical talent is undeniable.  Will’s rockin voice is the perfect juxtaposition to Caitlin’s smooth and powerful tone.  The two sang several new songs of their digital EP including their single “Address in the Stars.”  Hearing that song performed live was an experience…and the emotion was raw.  My favorite part of their performance was when they performed the song that won the competition for them; “Stupid Boy.”  Usually, people can’t pull off Keith Urban’s extended rendition, but Caitlin & Will give Keith a run for his money.  The emotion and harmony in this song is unbelievable, and sent chills down our spines.

 Gloriana is a new favorite of CMTT.  They are young and hip, yet with traditional country harmonies…Even with four of them crammed on the tiny stage, they still worked the stage and the crowd, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that they are all pretty good lookin.  The entire room sang along to “Wild at Heart” and swayed along to several other songs from their album.

 Luke Bryan was probably the crowd favorite of the night…He amped up the crowd, and worked every corner of the room.  He sang a few new songs off of his upcoming album and some past favorites like “Rode in Trucks” and “You Make Me Want To.”  We even got a surprise cameo appearance by Blake Shelton, who hand-delivered a Miller Lite to Luke on stage.  Nothing compared to the crowd excitement and noise level when Luke broke out into his party anthem “All My Friends Say.”  The crowd was amped up to say the least.  Luke worked that small crowd just like he worked the CMA Fest LP Field stadium-sized crowd on Friday.  During the meen n’greet I told Luke we thought his performance at LP Field was the best of the entire weekend, and I meant it.  He seemed genuinely grateful and surprised.

 Jack Ingram was the headliner of the night.  He worked the crowd with his high-energy set.  He wins the prise of the night for touching the most people…falling back into the crowd to surf.  My first time seeing Jack was at LP Field on Sunday night, and tonight he carried the same amount of energy even in the small bar.

Over all, the night was a GREAT time!  Thanks to Rhapsody and CMTfor giving us a much-needed night out after a very long week.  It was great to finally experience some of the groups we were unfamiliar with, and sing-a-long to some of our favorites.  You can see our pictures on our flickr here. 

Got some country music gossip and don’t wanna be a tattle tale?  Email me, Tawny Tucker, Tawny@countrymusictattletale.com