It's All About The Fans

While in Nashville for CMA Music Fest last week, a popular activity for many fans is to attend Fan Club Parties. These gatherings provide fans intimate access to his or her favorite artist, as well as the opportunity to socialize in person with other fans met in online fan club forums. Most parties include meet and greet access to the artist, which is oftentimes as fun for the artist as the fans, since the artist normally only sees the hardcore fans a few at a time as he or she travels around the country. At a fan club party, all the familiar faces are in one place at one time! The parties also include a private performance from everyone's mutually favorite artist - sometimes acoustic, sometimes full band - but typically just a few songs. More generous artists have been known to throw a full blown concert for the gathering of faithful. Others will play games, hold activities, or put themselves on the hotseat for fan Q&A - which is the most dangerous interview they'll ever do because fans want to know about everything! Any way it's done, it's always a special treat to be able to spend exclusive time with one's favorite artist. And CMA Music Fest Week is when it all happens, since so many fans are already in town. Here is a sampling of some of this year's Fan Club Parties:

GARY ALLAN - JUNE 9 - Nashville
BUCKY COVINGTON - JUNE 10 - Rocketown
ALAN JACKSON - JUNE 10 - Cadillac Ranch
TRACE ADKINS - JUNE 11 - Belcourt Theatre
MARTINA McBRIDE - JUNE 12 - Limelight
SARA EVANS - JUNE 12 - Rocketown
JOSH TURNER - JUNE 13 - Rocketown
MIRANDA LAMBERT - JUNE 14 - Nashville Palace