The Two Friends Performed A Positive Set On The CMA Stage

The CMA Fest is officially underway, with the opening night of the 52nd festival showcasing some of your favorite artists, including a headlining set by Jason Aldean.

Aldean surprised the CMA Fest crowd by bringing out his good friend, Travis Tritt, to perform Tritt’s hit, “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” which was released in 2000 on the album Down the Road I Go.

The song celebrates the joy of one perfect day and expresses the singer’s hope that every day will be just as good, though most days fall short.

“And it’s a great day to be alive
I know the sun’s still shining
When I close my eyes
There’s some hard times in the neighborhood
But why can’t every day be just this good.”

Tritt and Aldean have been longtime friends, often supporting each other in the media. Whenever one faces backlash for their political views, both Trump supporters and outspoken conservatives have come to each other’s defense.

This was particularly evident when Tritt spoke out in support of Aldean’s song, “Try That in a Small Town,” which faced controversy due to the political climate at the time.

Tritt defended the song, stating,

“IMO, this song isn’t promoting violence as some have suggested. It is simply expressing a point of view that many American people share which is against the obvious violence that we have seen from the likes of so many ‘activists groups’ in this country in recent years and the belief shared by millions that this behavior would not be tolerated by many people in many places across the USA. God bless America and all the people in it.”

Watch their performance at CMA Fest below

The Pair Performed At CMA Fest Together A Decade Ago

This isn’t the first time the artists have teamed up at The CMA Fest. More than a decade ago, Jason Aldean headlined CMA Fest 2014 and invited Travis Tritt to perform one of his hit songs.

The duo delivered a lively rendition of “Homesick,” with Jason Aldean rocking out on guitar while Travis Tritt flawlessly captured every high note.

The pair radiated joy throughout their performance of this upbeat ballad. “Homesick” was released by Tritt in 1991 on his album It’s All About to Change, and its lyrics reflect a boy longing for a past era of rock that he never personally experienced.

“Guitars ring in the dead of night, sing so blue, sound so right
It makes you homesick
Listen close to the guitar man, native son of a foreign land
The boy’s homesick

He’s homesick, for days bygone
Homesick, for home sweet home
Where were you in ’69, smokin’ dope, drinkin’ wine.”

You can watch their spectacular performance below.