RECAP: Kenny Chesney kicks off stadium tour, saying ‘It’s a tsunami of love and energy crashing right over us’

from Cindy Watts

before 3 p.m

Kenny Chesney, country music’s favorite summertime herald, kicked off his stadium tour this weekend in Tampa, Fla. with a little help from Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce and 58,369 fans.

“After four years we were back together – and we wanted to squeeze every last drop and ounce of passion out of every single song,” Chesney said in a statement.

Chesney’s Here & Now 2022 tour runs through August 27 and includes 40 stadium concerts.

The Luttrell, Tenn. native opened the night with a seven-minute version of his hit “Beer in Mexico,” followed by “Reality,” “Til It’s Gone,” and “Here and Now.”

“It’s a tsunami of love and energy sweeping right over us…” Chesney told the crowd.

His band, complete with new drummer Nick Buda and guitarist Danny Rader, supported him on his cleaner stage with new, cutting-edge videos as he progressed through “Out Last Night,” “Knowing You,” “Somewhere With You,” and ” Somewhere with You” ripped “What Eternity Feels Like.”

The crowd helped him sing “Summertime,” “Pirate Flag,” and “I Go Back,” but really took over “American Kids.”

“I knew it was going to be good,” Chesney said in a statement. “But those were very different things – the way they lit up the stadium from the moment ‘Anything But Mine’ started, the way they pushed back ‘Noise’ like they were around her Singing life, the relief and reassurance,” Chesney marveled after the show, “I could hear it in her choruses of ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.’ When music holds people together, it also brings them together – and lets them release so much of what’s locked inside them.”

Chesney’s set was two hours and 15 minutes of hits and memories.

Other stops on his stadium tour include:

April 28, 2022
AUSTIN, TX
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS LIVE

April 30, 2022
CHARLOTTE, NC
BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM

MAY 5, 2022
NOBLESVILLE, IN
RUOFF HOME MORTGAGE CENTRE

MAY 7, 2022
ST. LOUIS, MO
BUSCH STADIUM

MAY 14, 2022
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD

MAY 19, 2022
ORANGE BEACH, AL
THE QUAY

MAY 21, 2022
ATLANTA, GA
MERCEDES BENZ STADIUM

MAY 25, 2022
CHARLESTON, SC
CREDIT ONE STADIUM

MAY 26, 2022
HUNTSVILLE, AL
ORION AMPHITHEATRE

MAY 28, 2022
NASHVILLE, TN
NISSAN STADIUM

JUNE 2, 2022
THE WOODS, TX
CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL PAVILION

JUNE 4, 2022
DALLAS, TX
AT&T STADIUM

JUNE 8, 2022
CANANDAIGUA, NY
CMAC

JUNE 9, 2022
CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH
FLORAL MUSIC CENTRE

JUNE 11, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA
HEINZFELD

JUNE 15, 2022
Virginia Beach, Virginia
VETERANS UNITED HOME LOAN AMPHITHEATRE

JUNE 16, 2022
BRISTOW, VA
JIFFY LUBE LIVE

JUNE 18, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA
LINCOLN FINANCIAL AREA

JUNE 23, 2022
CINCINNATI, OH
RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER

JUNE 25, 2022
CHICAGO, ILL
SOLDIER FIELD

JUNE 29, 2022
BRANDON, MS
BRANDON AMPHITHEATRE

JUNE 30, 2022
ROGERS, AR
WALMART AMP

JULY 2, 2022
KANSAS CITY, MO
GEHA FIELD AT ARROWHEAD

JULY 9, 2022
BOZEMAN, MT
BOBCAT STADIUM

JULY 12, 2022
STATELINE, NV
LAKE TAHOE OUTDOOR ARENA AT HARVEYS

JULY 13, 2022
STATELINE, NV
LAKE TAHOE OUTDOOR ARENA AT HARVEYS

JULY 16, 2022
SEATTLE, WA
LUMENFELD

JULY 19, 2022
BENDING, OR
HAYDEN HOMES AMPHITHEATRE

JULY 20, 2022
BENDING, OR
HAYDEN HOMES AMPHITHEATRE

JULY 23, 2022
INGLEWOOD, CA
SOFI STADIUM

JULY 27, 2022
BOISE, ID
FORD IDAHO CENTER AMPHITHEATRE

JULY 28, 2022
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
USANA AMPHITHEATRE

JULY 30, 2022
DENVER, CO
STRENGTHEN THE FIELD A MILE HIGH

August 6, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
US BANK STADIUM

August 10, 2022
COLUMBIA, MD
MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION

August 11, 2022
SYRACUSE, NY
ST. JOSEPH’S AMPHITHEATER IN LAKEVIEW

August 13, 2022
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ
METLIFE STADIUM

August 18, 2022
COLOMBUS, OH
HISTORIC CREW STADIUM

August 20, 2022
DETROIT, MI
FORD FIELD

26 AUGUST 2022
FOXBORO, MA
GILLETTE STADIUM

August 27, 2022
FOXBORO, MA
GILLETTE STADIUM