Even though Zach Top‘s the ACM new male artist of the year, you might be surprised to find out he hasn’t played that many stadiums.
You can witness the Washington native in front of one of his biggest crowds so far Thursday night, as the annual CMA Fest special airs on ABC.
“Last year on the platform stage was my first time in a stadium,” he says of his experience at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. “We’ve got to do a couple — well, I guess only one other. We played down at the Houston Rodeo back in March, and that was a stadium obviously.”
“But we’re not too used to it. Not too bored of it yet. So everybody’s real excited and you know, a little nerves and stuff,” he said before his performance. “And it’s always a little more nervous when you’re gonna be on TV and everything.”
During the 3-hour concert special, you’ll see Zach play his first #1, “I Never Lie,” and do a medley of “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and Alabama‘s “Mountain Music” with his Broken Branches Tour partner Dierks Bentley.
Dierks does his current hit, “She Hates Me,” as well.
The night of the show also happened to be the very first time Zach played his new single, “Good Times & Tan Lines.”
“Hopefully it’s the new summer anthem for everybody who loves country music,” he said. “First time playing it live ever.”
The CMA Fest special premieres Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, before streaming on Hulu on Friday.
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