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2019 iHeartCountry Fest: Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line & More Highlights

Just as we promised, the 2019 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One® took over Austin, Texas on Saturday (May 4), delivering all of the country anthems from past and present. In the process, the all-star country party offered up plenty when it came to special guests and collaborative covers. From Florida Georgia Line's on-stage reunion with Morgen Wallen to Tim McGraw's hits-packed set to cap his birthday week and the tender sentiment around Little Big Town's "The Daughters," there was no mistaking just how jam-packed the evening turned out for the Frank Erwin Center. If you missed out on the action, iHeartRadio has you covered with all of the big moments from the show!

Luke Combs Kicks Things Off On A Strong Note — Literally

Luke Combs

Luke Combs was recently added to Willie Nelson's "Outlaw Music Festival Tour," but the 29-year-old chart-topper was solo when he kicked off Saturday night (May 4). Combs started the night with the most splashy highlights from his debut album,This One's for You. Alongside a full band, the singer/songwriter strummed away at his guitar (occasionally trading in the instrument for a red solo cup) as he ventured through the 25-minute setlist. With strong vocals and an obvious connection to the narratives of "When It Rains It Pours," "Must've Never Met You," "One Number Away," "Beautiful Crazy," "Hurricane," Combs delivered on all ends. For his closer, he selected fan favorite "She’s Got the Best of Me."

Tim McGraw Caps Birthday Week With Hits-Filled Performance

Tim McGraw

Photo: Getty Images

During the 30-minute set, Tim McGraw brought his signature cowboy hat and suave demeanor to deliver the many hits from his three-decade career. From "Truck Yeah" to "Southern Voice," "All I Want," "Barbecue Stain" and so much more in between, the 52-year-old left it all on the Frank Erwin Arena stage and the essence from those very songs, including his new single "Thought About You," was undeniable. What's interesting about watching a veteran like McGraw is just how much he can still command the stage and audience. (At one point in the set, he played with the crowd's cheering volume like a maestro.) "Thank y'all for having me. First off, I want to thank iHeartRadio for having me here this evening. I think the last time I was here was three years ago and I appreciate you coming out and see me. Look, there's some great, great, great artists in country music right now," he told the crowd.

McGraw went on to explain that he feels very blessed and grateful to be able to share the stage with so many other acts, poking fun at FGL in the process. "Those guys get under my skin a little bit because they don't like me very much," he said, before backtracking. "No, I'm kidding. We have a great song together. I love Florida Georgia Line. Come on, Little Big Town. I can't remember everybody's name, but I love all these new artists. I learn something from them every time I see them."

Florida Georgia Line Reunite With Morgan Wallen For "Up Down"

Florida Georgia Line

Photo: Ismael Quintanilla for iHeartRadio

Florida Georgia Line brought plenty of hits to the Frank Erwin Arena like "Colorado" and "Cruise," but the duo also showed love to their newest single, "Y'all Boys," which they've only performed a handful of times and is meant as a true anthem for a certain kind of country guy. "Talk You Out of It," "Simple" and their record-breaking Bebe Rexha collab, "Meant To Be," were also part of the set-list, but the pair surprised fans when they reunited with Daytime Village performer Wallen for their closing number.

"Get loud for Morgan Wallen everybody. Let's turn this sh*t up." told the crowd, before introducing their former collaborator to sing their 2017 single, "Up Down," as fire shot up from the back of the stage. As you probably could expect after listening to "Y'all Boys," the dynamic between Hubbard and Kelley is clear and it seems like Wallen shares that same kind of energy."

Bobby Bones Surprises Audience With LOCASH For "I Love This Life"

Bobby Bones and LOCASH

Photo: Ismael Quintanilla for iHeartRadio

With The Raging Idiots by his side, the long-time personality went through a batch of numbers familiar to the audience. Kicking things off with his most recent single, "The Emoji Love Song," the 39-year-old star brought the audience to their feet with the catchy track, which was released back in February. From there on, Bones led the Frank Erwin Center in a number of different directions with a hilarious tweaked rendition of "Jesus Knows," The Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and Bon Jovi’s "Livin' On A Prayer."

Still, none of it compared to the surprise appearance from LOCASH, who arrived on stage shortly afterwards. "I want to bring out two very important people in my life. Clap your hands for LOCASH everybody," Bones told the audience, before the bands got into their 2015 hit, "I Love This Life," a fitting choice since they previously told the host that they sometimes open and close with the smash during their shows.

Dan + Shay Toast To The Success Of "Tequila" With Tequila

Dan + Shay

Photo: Ryan Vestil for iHeartRadio

With their four-member band in-tow, the pair delivered on the hits and made it look all too easy in casual attire. Dan + Shay kicked off the set with their newest single, "All To Myself," the pop-friendly cut about some physical loving. "How Not To," "Speechless," and "19 You + Me," followed afterwards, but the real moment of their performance arrived in the form of a beverage named "Tequila." "It is Saturday night in Austin, Texas and, coincidentally, the name of this song is a word of what we'll be drinking all damn night with you people," Dan told the audience. "Do you feel like singing one more song with us Austin, Texas? There are a lot of people, man. This has potential to be the loudest this song has ever been sung, so if you know the words, iHeartCountry Festival, please sing along."

Little Big Town's "Daughters" Performance Was All Too Fitting

Little Big Town

Photo: Ismael Quintanilla for iHeartRadio

Now, Little Big Town have performed the single at the 54th ACM Awards, but there's a reason why it's important they continue to push the song. "The Daughters" hears the collective spread a similar progressive agenda as they did with "Girl Crush" a few years back. "We've only sung it a couple of times. This is a song for all the little girls out there and all the good men in the house that are raising up or caring for the daughters," Fairchild told the audience. It all comes at on a fitting night after the all-female cover of Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" with Lauren Alaina, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack.

"And pose like a trophy on a shelf/ Dream for everyone, but not yourself/ I've heard of God the Son and God the Father/ I'm still looking for a God for the daughters," they gentle crooned during the emotional hook.

Lauren Alaina Leads Cover Of Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" With Tenille Townes And Caylee Hammack

Photo: Ismael Quintanilla for iHeartRadio

While Hammack kicked off the set with "Family Tree," Townes opted for "Somebody's Daughter" and Alaina went for her 2018 single, "Ladies In The ‘90s," as well as her ultimate anthem for the haters, "Road Less Traveled." As we mentioned above, the trio saved the best for last when they churned out a playful duet of Shania Twain’s iconic 1997 smash, "Man! I Feel Like A Woman." “I have a question: Where all my girls in the crowd tonight? Tenille, Caylee, y'all come out here and join me on this one. I need a little help," Alaina said from the stage. "Alright, ladies, let's have some fun. Let's go girls." With their sparkling ensembles, the three-piece danced around stage, offered up some refreshing ad-libs to the number and, most importantly, repped their womanhood to the packed audience.

Chris Janson Brings "Good Vibes" & Harmonica Skills To His Set

Photo: Ismael Quintanilla for iHeartRadio

For the second set of the evening, Chris Janson took to the stage for a five-song set, which showed concert-goers just why the Nashville-helmed singer is catching so much attention. He's energetic. He's charismatic. He's incredibly grateful for his success. After kicking off with a harmonica solo for "Redneck Life," he delivered the entertaining "Fix A Drink." However, Janson's performance presence was simply electric when attention turned to his recent single "Good Vibes." "Now all the happy people in the room say 'Whooooo!" he told the crowd before venturing into the number, which included plenty of shots of him showing off his pearl whites and a flashy neon backdrop.

Photo: Getty Images