Jordan Davis, NEEDTOBREATHE bring CMT Awards excitement to UT with 'Crossroads' taping

On Friday night, the UT Tower's plaza was chock-full of Austinites in cowboy hats and boots, ready for a one-of-a-kind collaboration performance from Jordan Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE.

Country singer Davis and rock band NEEDTOBREATHE hit the stage together at UT Austin's campus for a live taping of the show "CMT Crossroads," the network's longest-running music series. For the show, two artists from different genres come together on stage to perform each other’s hits.

The "Crossroads" taping comes before another anticipated live performance from Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE at Sunday's CMT Awards.

The awards show, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, aired live from Austin's Moody Center.

Building up excitement for the CMT Awards, Jordan Davis—known for songs "Buy Dirt" and "Next Thing You Know"—sang with NEEDTOBREATHE's frontman Bear Rinehart, tossing vocals back and forth between one another or singing in harmony.

NEEDTOBREATHE, with Rinehart, Seth Bolt, Josh Lovelace, Randall Harris and Tyler Burkum, released album "Caves" in 2023 and are known for hits "Who Am I," "Banks" and "Multiplied."

While the two artists have entirely different sounds, tonight, Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE sounded like they could have been playing together for decades.

More:CMT Awards red carpet: Stars are big and bright as they arrive at Austin's Moody Center

Jordan Davis, NEEDTOBREATHE say their collab's 'been like band camp'

Davis’s country grit and Rinehart’s gravelly rock 'n' roll vocals blended together in harmonies that hit the perfect mix of country and rock. There were both mandolin solos and electric guitar riffs, bluesy harmonica and thumping drums.

"I know Bear’s voice is cooler than mine," Davis joked to the crowd during the show. But Davis and Rinehart shared the spotlight well.

"I've been looking forward to doing 'Crossroads' for a long time, so I'm glad it's with NEEDTOBREATHE," Davis told the USA Today Network.

"I've been aware of Jordan, I know his music, but I'd never met him, which is kinda crazy," said Rinehart. Both Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE made the trek from their home city Nashville to Austin for the weekend.

"It's just been like band camp, here," Rinehart added. "It's been just fun—which is the way a collaboration should be."

Davis agreed. "Ending (the weekend) on the awards night, us getting to play another song, it's a cool way to cap off a fun weekend," he said.

Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE's "Crossroads" collaboration included Davis's songs "Next Thing You know," "Tucson Too Late" and "Buy Dirt."

For Davis's sweet tune "What My World Spins Around," Davis and Rinehart's powerful, gravelly voices blended together as red lights poured over the crowd and Seth Bolt shook the tambourine.

They sang, "But girl, that don't even come close / To the way that it feels when you lean in and kiss me / The way that you dance when you get kinda tipsy."

NEEDTOBREATHE's featured songs were "Banks," "Wasting Time," "West Texas Wind," and "The Outsiders," which featured thumping drums, lively harmonica and a call from Rinehart to get "as loud as we gon' get!"

The night's encore—one of the evening's top moments—was a cover of Tom Petty's 1994 song "You Wreck Me," which both Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE have covered in the past. Both acts laid it all out on the line for their final number.

A fitting way to top off the night, the "Crossroads" ended on a heartland rock note.

Together, Davis and Rinehart sang the classic: "Oh yeah! / You wreck me baby! / Yeah, you break me in two / But you move me honey! / Yes, you do!"

UT Campus sharing in CMT Awards excitement

Throughout the evening, lights flashed on the UT Tower's Main Building and illuminated the tower a bright orange as spotlights raced around, cameras filmed the action for CMT and a drone flew overhead.

Any other time of year, this isn't a typical day at UT Austin. But as it turns out, just earlier this week another full CMT production came to campus.

On Wednesday, Kelsea Ballerini, Bailey Zimmerman, Old Dominion and Megan Moroney performed at UT Austin ahead of the awards ceremony to an audience of UT students and locals.

"It's honestly so incredible," said UT Austin sophomore Coco Kennedy. "This never happens anywhere else, and we, as students, get to experience it for free and it's an incredible experience we get to take with us forever."

"Austin's truly living up to its name," said Logan Dubel, a sophomore at UT who is also a student journalist at Texas Student Television. "To be able to not only see these artists but interview all these fans who are having a blast in the live music capital of the world...

"It's just an incredible experience for us, as students, to get to have."

An air date has not yet been announced for Davis and NEEDTOBREATHE's "Crossroads" special.