Sugarland performs at the Nightly Concert on the Vault Concert Stage LP Field Thursday, June 5 in Downtown Nashville during the 2008 CMA Music Festival. Photographer: John Russell / CMA
July 24, 2008 — Sugarland has gained a lot of attention for a new wrinkle in its live shows: Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush begin their performances in transparent, 10-foot bubbles as they crawl over the top of their audience.
It’s been a learning experience for both the duo and for their fans, who have had to figure out on the fly the best way to cope with the prospect of what could be a minor disaster.
"If you don't hold your hands up, you're going to get squashed," Jennifer told USA Today. "So people will have their drink in one hand and their camera in the other, thinking they're going to get a picture, then all of a sudden — whomp!"
As it turns out, the crowd’s learning curve is fairly dramatic — the trip from the stage to the back of the venue is slower than the return.
"The ride back is much more like a roller coaster," Kristian said, "because they're like, 'Oh! Here we go!' You're going much faster."
Each of the large spheres cost about $4,000 to manufacture.
Sugarland — GAC’s Artist of the Month for July — has cranked out two different versions of its new album, Love On The Inside. The Deluxe Fan Edition, featuring extra tracks and video, came out this week; the standard 12-cut CD arrives in stores on Tuesday.
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