Photo: Getty Images
Runaway June proved that not even a storm would stop them from performing. The beloved country trio simply moved the venue, and the show turned out to be a more intimate experience for the concertgoers who stuck out the inclement weather.
It happened at the 50th CMA Fest, hosted from Jun 8-11 throughout Downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The iconic festival features performances by some of the biggest artists in country music, surprise guests, and fast-rising stars. CMA Fest will air as a three-hour special — hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson — on ABC on Wednesday, July 19 at 8 p.m./7 p.m. CT.
Runaway June’s CMA Fest performance shifted to a new location after severe weather prompted officials to shut down outdoor stages and alerted fest goers to seek shelter inside the Music City Center and garage, Bridgestone Arena, the Hilton Hotel garage and other downtown businesses until the inclement weather cleared.
“Our performance at the 2023 CMA Fest got canceled at the last minute due to bad weather,” Runaway June reflected in a reel shared to Instagram on Wednesday (June 14). “But it was important to us that we play for the people that came out!! So we decided to put on a show in the lobby at the Hilton Nashville Downtown!!”
The trio grabbed their guitars and performed an intimate set in the lobby of the hotel. They “said rain or shine and we meant it!!”
Runaway June set the reel to their latest song to release, “Make Me Wanna Smoke,” which dropped last month. The group — made up of Stevie Woodward, Natalie Stovall and Jennifer Wayne — fused elements from other genres to create the track unlike others they’ve released before. During an appearance on on The Bobby Bones Show, Woodward described the song as “a total different vibe,” “exciting,” and “edgy.” Listen to a snippet of it as Runaway June relives their unexpected CMA Fest stage here: