Kenny Chesney: ‘This Year’s Set Is Going to Take Everything to a Whole Other Level’
Kenny Chesney is just a few days away from the opening night for his 2015 The Big Revival Tour, which means that both he and his band are making final preparations for what will certainly be one of the biggest tours of the year.
"I've always said, we’re a lot like a baseball team," Chesney admits. "We’re six months on, six months off ... and a lot of time to get ready. But you know, when it’s all heart and so physically demanding, there’s really no other way to do this."
Chesney has poured his heart and soul, literally, into making this tour come alive. After taking a year off to record The Big Revival, which was released last year, the Tennessee native is especially eager to finally return to his favorite place: the stage.
"Every time, I want people to have the best night of their lives," he explains. "I take that very seriously. I've heard enough stories about people planning their summer around coming to see us, and when you know that, you wanna always give ’em more and better, trying to think what else? But, you know, these songs are the reason people come -- and I don’t ever want to take away from the music."
The "Wild Child" singer also put a lot of thought into which of his more than 50 Top 20 singles to include on the setlist, not to mention the new tracks from The Big Revival.
"When we were talking about what songs to play, a couple of us were imagining how the fans are going to respond to the new stuff -- and everyone was like ‘Oh, yeah,'" Chesney recalls. "Because, I think, as fired up as the crowds have always been, this year’s set is going to take everything to a whole other level. And that’s one thing about the No Shoes Nation -- they come to have the time of their lives -- and the beauty of my band is, they’re determined to make it the best night of the summer."
Chesney says that he owes his career to the fans, which is why this tour especially is so important to him.
“If the fans ever wonder what they mean to us, or what they've helped us build, all they have to do is tune in and listen. It’s all there: the good times, the crazy moments, the things like the Spread the Love Fund that made all of us think, and, above all, some of the very best nights of all of our lives," he says. "I was pretty fired up to get out there already, but thinking about the people we've met, the adventures we've had, well, that takes it to another place."
Chesney will kick off his 2015 The Big Revival Tour with two sold-out shows at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on March 26 and 27. Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Jake Owen, Chase Rice, Brantley Gilbert and Old Dominion are among the artists who will join him throughout the tour, both as opening acts and at joint headlining shows. See all of his upcoming dates on his website.
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