Everyone knows: nobody does stadium shows like Kenny Chesney! With an armful of No. 1s, a high-energy band and the energy to throw his songs to the seats at the top of the other end zone, The Wall Street Journal crowned him “The King of the Road.” But for the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee, there is an intimacy – and an exhale — that comes with amphitheater shows that offer an equally important experience the No Shoes Nation demands.
“Nothing’s like the energy of a stadium show,” Chesney admits. “But there’s also something about the amphitheaters, where the people are all so close. It’s like being with your friends somewhere back home, singing songs and hanging out, and having the best party of the year. For us, it feels like the people are so right there, and the songs are driving the night. It’s an experience we know No Shoes Nation loves and misses when we don’t do it, so this year, we’re going to make sure there are plenty of opportunities to see us under the pavilion or out on the lawn.”
While the tour kicks off April 21 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, look for the more intimate amphitheater plays to begin May 10 at Virginia Beach’s Farm Bureau Live, May 11 at Charlotte, NC’s PNC Music Pavilion and May 12 at Raleigh, NC’s Coastal Credit Union Music Park. The 2018 Trip Around the Sun Tour will thread between massive stadium shows and the more streamlined concerts throughout the summer – and see Chesney create two very different kinds of concert experiences.
“Part of the fun of mixing the venues is riding the energy, letting the music breathe in different ways and really giving the audience dynamics that are so intense without being the same show across America,” Chesney explains. “The amphitheaters all have their own vibes, their own attitude – and those experiences shift very specifically. Darling’s Waterfront in Bangor, Maine is one thing; Mountain View, California’s Shoreline Amphitheater is something else altogether, just like the folks in Toronto at the Molson or Austin’s Austin360 Amphitheaters.”
With Chesney returning to a full touring calendar after creating more seats at Boston’s Gillette Stadium – to break the attendance record with 121,624 people over two nights – Chesney’s passion to play is at a new high. Energized by the response to Cosmic Hallelujah, The Big Revival, and the hits “American Kids,” “Noise,” “Save It for a Rainy Day” and “All the Pretty Girls,” the 8-time Entertainer of the Year is fired up and focused.
“I feel like this summer, we’re going to take those songs on Live in No Shoes Nation, and lift them even higher,” Chesney says. “Listening to it over and over, hearing everyone’s voices raised… It’s what makes coming out to see us special! When you get to hear all that heart, all that fun, and life, and love coming towards the stage, it really takes our breath away. So, get ready America: we’re coming! Stadiums, amphitheaters, and a whole lot of music.”
Keeping the focus on songwriting and crowd-pleasing, Chesney tapped Old Dominion, the 2015 Academy of Country Music New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year winners, for his amphitheater evenings.
Blue Chair Bay Rum is the exclusive sponsor of this year’s Trip Around The Sun Tour. Blue Chair Bay Rum is inspired by the Kenny Chesney’s lifestyle and comes in the following natural flavors: White Rum, Coconut, Coconut Spiced, Banana, Vanilla, Key Lime Rum Cream, Banana Rum Cream and Coconut Spiced Rum Cream.
Trip Around the Sun Tour dates below:
Friday, March 16 — Las Vegas, Nevada, The Joint
Saturday, March 17 – Las Vegas, Nevada, The Joint
Saturday, April 21, Tampa, Florida, Raymond James Stadium
Saturday, April 28, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miller Park
Saturday, May 5, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Bank Stadium
Thursday, May 10, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
Friday, May 11, Charlotte, North Carolina, PNC Music Pavilion
Saturday, May 12, Raleigh, North Carolina, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wednesday, May 16, Del Valle, Texas, Austin360 Amphitheater
Thursday, May 17, The Woodlands, Texas, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Saturday, May 19, Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium
Thursday, May 24, West Palm Beach, Florida, Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Saturday, May 26, Atlanta, Georgia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Thursday, May 31, Noblesville, Indiana, The Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Saturday, June 2, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Heinz Field
Wednesday, June 6, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Blossom Music Center
Thursday, June 7, Syracuse, New York, Lakeview Amphitheater
Saturday, June 9, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Field
Friday, June 15, Bristow, Virginia, Jiffy Lube Live
Saturday, June 16, Columbus, Ohio, MAPFRE Stadium
Wednesday, June 20, Mountain View, California, Shoreline Amphitheatre
Thursday, June 21, Chula Vista, California, Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 23, Phoenix, Arizona, Chase Field
Thursday, June 28, West Valley City, Utah, USANA Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 30, Denver, Colorado, Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Tuesday, July 3, Stateline, Nevada, Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino
Thursday, July 5, Nampa, Idaho, Ford Idaho Center
Saturday, July 7, Seattle, Washington, CenturyLink Field
Thursday, July 12, Rogers, Arkansas, Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
Saturday, July 14, Kansas City, Missouri, Arrowhead Stadium
Thursday, July 19, Southaven, Mississippi, BankPlus Amphitheater
Saturday, July 21, St. Louis, Missouri, Busch Stadium
Thursday, July 26, Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverbend Music Center
Saturday, July 28, Chicago, Illinois, Soldier Field
Thursday, August 2, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 4, Detroit, Michigan, Ford Field
Saturday, August 11, Nashville, Tennessee, Nissan Stadium
Thursday, August 16, Bangor, Maine, Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
Saturday, August 18, East Rutherford, New Jersey, MetLife Stadium
Wednesday, August 22, Columbia, Maryland, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Friday, August 24, Foxborough, Massachusetts, Gillette Stadium
Saturday, August 25, Foxborough, Massachusetts, Gillette, Stadium
