Kenny Chesney Sends Minnesota Message Of Appreciation After U.S. Bank Stadium Show
After having to delay his show in Minnesota two times due to the pandemic, Kenny Chesney was finally able to bring his 'Here And Now Tour' to U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday.
The tour, which currently includes Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, and Old Dominion arrived in Minnesota on August 6 and over 50,000 people were more than ready to party, including me.
I've had tickets to this show since the Minnesota tour stop was announced in 2019. The original date was set to take place in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused not just one, but two postponements of this highly anticipated tour. As this date approached I found it funny that in just the few short years since the show was first announced, we have gone from paper tickets to digital tickets that are scanned through our phones.
On behalf of our listeners who had tickets, and myself, I did verify with the promoter that the relics we call paper tickets would still be accepted at this 2022 date. I was told that as long as the bar code was still visible, there was no need to worry.
I confidently approached U.S. Bank Stadium with my paper ticket, which by now had faded to the point where it looked like a keepsake from years gone by, and entered the stadium with ease as promised.
In my opinion, Kenny Chesney has become the Jimmy Buffet of modern country music. With the devotion of his No Shoes Nation fanbase, he has done a terrific job of creating an aura that attracts those who have a passion for the laid back surf and sand lifestyle. On Saturday, he delivered an energetic and impassioned show that seemingly left everyone happy.
Personally, I was very impressed with the power and volume of Kenny's band and he, as usual, was a full of energy and appreciation.
My only complaint on the lineup was that I think Dan + Shay would've been better suited to play after Carly Pearce, as Old Dominion is much better suited as a the direct setup for Kenny Chesney.
I mean no disrespect towards Dan + Shay, they are a very talent duo, but the majority of their hits are ballads and that just isn't what a stadium full of No Shoes Nation partiers wants to hear several hours into a big event such as this. Old Dominion brought the party vibe that is a far better setup to Kenny Chesney. I don't care about which band has generated the most revenue, it's about the spirit of the tour and Old Dominion should be the direct lead-in to Kenny.
That being said, the overall show was terrific and Kenny Chesney made a point to tweet a message of appreciation to Minnesota Sunday night:
Fans and even U.S. Bank Stadium also shared their love of the Minnesota show through social media.
It's great to have massive tours such as this back on the road, and hopefully they will continue to include stops near or actually in the Northland in the future.
The Here And Now Tour will now head east with an August 10 show in Maryland, followed by an August 11 show in Syracuse, New York.