Kenny Chesney might be the Sultan of Summer, but after Saturday night, he’s also the joy peddler and attendance king.
East Tennessee native Kenny Chesney brought his wildly popular Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour to Nashville’s Nissan Stadium Saturday night. With 57,523 fans wedged into Nashville’s largest event space, Chesney set a new personal attendance record for the tour. That’s more than 50 times the number of people who live in Chesney’s hometown of Luttrell near Knoxville.
Chesney bounded onto the expansive stage with endless energy, opening his two-hour set with “Living in Fast Forward.” He followed with “Beer in Mexico” as the crowd batted a beach ball overhead.
Chesney is happiness personified, a wide smile and strong voice in spite of the intense heat and humidity. Wearing a dark, oversized tank top already drenched with sweat, the singer bounded from one side of the stage to the other, belting coming-of-age anthems, summer staples, and leading sing-alongs to hits including “Keg In The Closet,” “Reality” and “Til It’s Gone.”
Kenny Chesney is Happiness Personified
“We thank you so very much for spending another night of your summertime with us,” he said, introducing “Summertime.” The crowd cheered wildly as he flowed into “Just To Say We Did.”
Frequent but not current tour partner Old Dominion showed up to sing “Save It For a Rainy Day” before it was time for Chesney’s defining summer laidback smash, “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem.”
He changed the mood up with “Somewhere With You,” and Chesney’s longtime guitarist Kenny Greenberg roared into a screaming solo that saw him scraping his electric guitar’s strings on the mic stand for more effect.
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“I grew up two and a half hours away near Knoxville, Tennessee,” Chesney said. “I have family here tonight. My sister is here tonight. I wrote this song several years ago about growing up in the country. It’s a song that matters to me.”
The crowd cheered when fans recognized the opening notes of “I Go Back.”
“I’m so thrilled to be here, and I appreciate all the love and energy coming toward the stage,” he said. “More than anything, that’s what this next song is about.”
He kept the good vibes going with “Get Along” and “Never Wanted Nothing More.”
The tour’s opener, Uncle Kracker” reappeared in a Mickey Mouse shirt to join Chesney on their hit “When The Sun Goes Down.” Then he stuck around to join Chesney for a cover of “Drift Away.”
“I think I know this town,” Chesney said. “The majority of you are not going to go home (after this show). You might wake up with someone you love, don’t like, or don’t even know. But I hope you look at them and say, ‘We Went Out Last Night.’”
Kenny Chesney: “Do You Think That Megan’s Sexy?”
Following the party anthem, Chesney brought opening act Megan Moroney back to the stage for “All The Pretty Girls.” Her long blond hair hung over her Titans jersey and her tall white cowboy boots contrasted against the dark night sky.
She worked the stage like a woman who has been playing stadiums for years, not just a few months. She sang, slapped hands, and skipped from one side to the other. From there, the pair moved into Chesney’s beloved “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Chesney changed the lyrics to say, “Do you think that Megan’s sexy?” She giggled.
“Are you still with us?” Chesney asked fans. They roared in response.
“Young” and “American Kids” were also undeniable highlights of the evening with the audience screaming the song lyrics. Still, it was “There Goes My Life” that shifted attention from the singer to the power of a song. More than two decades after the sentimental song’s release, fans lit up the stadium with their cell phones as Chesney sang about unexpected blessings and changing perspectives.
The Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour stop at Nissan Stadium was Chesney’s sixth time playing the venue and his 200th stadium show.
“Nashville’s known for the quality of its creative people,” Chesney said in a statement after the show. “And when you hit that stage, you’re playing for people who know what it means to pour life into songs, to play as if your life depended on it. When you’re playing for people like that, you really want to give it all away.”
photo: Allister Ann
Local Nashville, TN
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