Kenny Chesney, the eight-time Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, wrapped rehearsals for his Songs for the Saints 2019 Tour – and watched as the breakdown and loadout began. Having once again played to
well over a million people in 2018 – topping the million mark in Boston
alone after his 18th show at Foxborough’s storied Gillette Stadium –
the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar made the decision to take the
music to the fans living in markets where stadium shows are not always
an option.
“Growing up outside of Knoxville, I remember the tours that didn’t come
near us,” Chesney says. “You’d hear about them, read about them – and
even dream about them. But if it wasn’t playing the Knoxville Civic,
well, it wasn’t something we could get to.”
With a focus on arena plays – and a few festivals where he has history – the man the Los Angeles Times called
“The People’s Superstar” is scaling his massive stadium-sized shows
back to bring them inside. Just don’t expect the setlist or the energy
to shrink.
“One of the things I wanted to make sure,” allows the man who’s the only country act in Billboard’s
Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years, “is that even if we’re in a
more contained space, the No Shoes Nation is going to get the same
impact, the same energy, the same feeling that the people coming to the
stadiums experience. It’s obviously a different show; we couldn’t begin
to get all that production into an arena, but I promise it’s going to be
a whole lot of fun and music.”
Known for the high intensity of his concerts – the Wall Street Journal deemed
him “The King of the Road” after a record-setting AT&T Stadium show
– that connection live is everything. As he says each night onstage,
“Whatever your problems, whether it’s work or your boyfriend or anything
else, I want you to leave them out there… and just be inside this
music. I want you to feel that, and forget about everything else.”
Joining Chesney for the Songs for the Saints 2019 Tour are David
Lee Murphy, his duet partner on the No. 1 hit and CMA Vocal Event of
the Year “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” and Caroline Jones. With a
spirit of friendship, discovery and celebration, in many ways this more intimate tour continues the intention of his charitable Songs for the Saints album, which featured Ziggy Marley, Mindy Smith and Jimmy Buffett.
“Music is medicine,” Chesney says. “It heals people and defines who we
are. But it’s so much more: it brings us together and reminds us how
precious life is. When I was making Songs for the Saints, how I
saw music and what it does changed. No Shoes Nation has always been one
of the most passionate ‘places’ in the world, but I realized these
songs, which mark people’s lives, also lift us up in ways that give us
strength, community and a whole lot of joy. It’s a party, but it’s also a
whole lot more.
“I can’t wait to get out there and get to some of these places we’ve not been in a while. Get ready! We’re coming.”
The Songs for the Saints Tour is presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum. Drink Responsibly.