With “American Kids” taking the country charts by storm, Kenny Chesney’s itch to bring the No Shoes Nation together didn’t take long. But in keeping with his always “embrace life, make it happen” attitude, Chesney wasn’t looking to just show up and play, he wanted to make it the kind of day that his fans really know how to celebrate, to turn into a memory that’s going to last for months to come.
After a quick site scout and a bunch of phone calls, the 4-time Country Music Association and 4 consecutive Academy of Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year settled on a spot along the Gulf Coast where Alabama meets Florida, and entire worlds come together: the Flora-Bama.
“I’ve been holed up making a record for the last year… and anyone who knows me knows how much I miss playing, miss the fans, but especially miss the culture the people who love this music bring with them,” Chesney says. “Obviously, this isn’t going to be one of those huge shows we do, but it’s gonna be a long day, a whole lotta music and even more fun.
“To me, a place like the Flora-Bama is all about kicking back, being with your friends and not worrying about a thing… Just hang out and be easy. I love that it’s on a border, that it’s on a beach, that it’s like the best bar anywhere people get together and just be! It’s everything the notion of The Big Revival is built on: taking that time to regroup, replenish then re-engage with the passion of being truly, absolutely alive.”
Located where Orange Beach and Gulf Shores meet Perdido Key, literally on the Alabama/Florida border, the bar with a beach was established in 1964 and has been a gathering place for surfers, sports fans, beach people, blue collars, rednecks, good ole boys’n’girls, locals, tourists ever since. Celebrated by The New Yorker, Maxim, John Grisham, Men’s Journal, USA Today, Bon Appetit, Playboy, Outside, The Boston Globe and Delta Sky, the Lounge/Package Store/Yacht Club is a one of a kind for laidback revelry and people coming together.
“This all started with ‘American Kids’ for me,” Chesney explains. “The idea how passionate my fans are, the way they come together and how much they love life, they love music and they celebrate every moment. I miss getting out there and playing, and I figured this is a way to combine everything they love in one place… Capture the essence of that freewheeling, seize the moment notion of the song, the album and the Nation.”
Details for the August 16 show – including how to get wristbands for access to the enclosed beach area – will be available, along with a clip from Kenny, at 7 a.m. central time tomorrow at http://kennychesney.com/florabamajama. Get ready, it’s gonna rock.
