During the 2018 CMA Awards, there was one very special performance that not everyone got right away. But if you did, you must really know your stuff!

A Band Called Midland

In 2018, the band Midland was nominated for three awards: Single of the Year, New Artists of the Year, and Vocal Group of the Year. They also put on a very special performance during the event that not everyone got right away…

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A Legend Gone Too Soon

Burt Reynolds is best known for his amazing acting skills. The Smokey and the Bandit star was our “Bandit” for a good chunk of our lives so when we lost him on September 6, 2018 – the world was devastated.

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A Tribute to Burt

So when Midland wanted to honor the great Burt Reynolds they decided to give a rockin’ performance of the Smokey and the Bandit theme song – Jerry Reed’s “East Bound And Down.”

They even posted to social media after the show that they “Hope y’all enjoyed our performance of eastbound and down tonight on the [CMAs]. It’s available now on all streaming platforms. Have a great night y’all! Rest in glory to The Bandit himself and Jerry Reed.”

Accompanying their post was an image of them playing and then a later post of a cartoon Burt Reynolds.

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And boy, did they deliver. Up on stage, the boys played a twangy and upbeat version of Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down.” Without any introduction – only a few of the biggest fans knew right away what the boys were up to.

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Luckily there were a few cameos of the movie on screen for the rest. You can watch their full performance below and let us know what you think in the comments!