Carly Pearce gave Max McNown’s Nashville crowd a night to remember on Saturday, Nov. 7, walking out onstage at The Pinnacle to join him for the first-ever live performance of their duet “Not Falling Out.”

The crowd erupted when Pearce appeared, turning the surprise walk-on into one of the night’s biggest moments.

The two released “Not Falling Out” just a couple of weeks ago, on October 23, but Saturday was the first time they performed it in front of a live audience.

McNown headlined the third annual Red Bull Jukebox Nashville, an interactive concert that gives fans a say in the setlist, special guests, and other moments throughout the night.

Before the show, McNown told Men’s Journal that “Not Falling Out” was the one song in his set that made him nervous — not about forgetting the words, but because “we don’t have any experience doing this live together.”

“Not Falling Out” is a romantic duet about two people choosing to keep building their relationship through life’s highs and lows rather than letting difficult moments pull them apart.

McNown co-wrote the song with Jamie Kenney, Hillary Lindsey, and Scott Harris. He has said the track needed another voice and Pearce brought something to it he didn’t expect; Pearce said she was already a fan of McNown before they worked together.

Carly Pearce performing in 2025 — photo via Wikimedia Commons