The CMT Music Awards 2014 rehearsals are well under way as country’s top acts prepare for the big night. Us Weekly Entertainment Director Ian Drew scoped out the scene on Tuesday, June 3 as he went backstage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to see just how everything is shaping up.
Inside, the lights are up and the stage is nearing completion. Us caught up with Little Big Town after they rehearsed. “There’s something special about the CMT Music Awards because the fans are right on top of you in the performances, and it makes it just electric in there,” Karen Fairchild told Us, saying the band is ready for country’s biggest night.
Along with Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, and Blake Shelton also prepped for their CMT appearances. “It’s going to be a good time for everybody involved,” Brantley Gilbert told Us after backflipping off of the stage during his rehearsal.
Taking time out from press conferences and walk-throughs, host Kristen Bell stopped to gush about Bryan’s upcoming performance of “Play It Again” saying she will skip costume changes between acts to make sure she’s in the front row.
Outside the arena, a stage has been set up surrounded by palm trees as beach balls bounce through the audience. Us caught up with a barefoot Jake Owen after his performance in downtown Nashville who said, “They can expect to see the entire downtown Nashville ‘Beachin’!”
Stay tuned right here for continuing coverage out of Nashville leading up to the 2014 CMT Awards Show which airs live on Wednesday, June 4, at 8 p.m. EST.
