Kenny Chesney is taking off on his long-awaited Here and Now Tour on April 23 in Tampa, and the superstar promises a heart-pumping show with a diverse musical selection.

Chesney will be bringing a new band on this summer’s tour, and he says he was “shocked” by the musical prowess the players have displayed during rehearsals. 

“It’s leaner, but more muscular,” he says in a press release. “There’s a real sense of power when they play, engagement in the way they listen to each other — and really push how we deliver these songs. It’s crazy. It’s always been a rocking band. But this year, this group of people, the chemistry and energy they have together, I was shocked to see how much more these songs could be; every day, it’s another surprise, and it’s awesome.”

Expect a 26-song setlist that will include some classic tunes, but a few older songs will be removed from the list in order to make room for more recent hits. Specifically, he is putting a new spin on his 2021 single, “Knowing You,” which fans are sure to enjoy. 

“We’ve worked up a pretty cool version of ‘Knowing You,’” he says. “As much as this show is built on high energy, rock hard, have fun vibes, there’s a feeling to ‘Knowing You’ that’s going to make every football stadium in America feel like that place you go with your most special memories, wherever that is."

“It means ‘You And Tequila’ and ‘Wild Child’ may not be in the stadiums this year,” he adds. “But I think No Shoes Nation is going to respond to this the same way they did ‘Anything But Mine.’” 

Hitting the road on a major tour for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chesney is now seeing his music in a new light. He says he’s realizing an overarching theme within his music of living life to the fullest, which is a notion his No Shoes Nation fans seem to embrace.

“I don’t think I’ve ever thought about what these songs taken as a whole are made of,” he says, “But playing to them with this new band, I realized: the songs I’ve always gravitated to are the ones about living life the way you want to, loving the experiences you have and the people you meet along the way."

“Maybe that’s why No Shoes Nation is unlike any other group of fans I’ve ever encountered,” he adds. “They share that same compass, too. So, when they hear these songs, they recognize a real truth in them, too.” 

Chesney’s Here and Now Tour will run through stadiums and amphitheaters for the entirety of the summer, concluding with two shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on August 26 and 27. He will be joined by Old Dominion, Dan + Shay and Carly Pearce as opening acts. 

 

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