(EBM) Having delayed his Phoenix, Arizona show for a day due to lightning strikes - and turning it into a two hour evening-with show - that saw his truck drivers merging teams to cover the 920 miles to get to load-in at Denver's Empower Field at Mile High Stadium done, Kenny Chesney's Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour stop had to hold doors, then delay following Megan Moroney's set last night. But nothing could put a damper on Chesney's sixth appearance at the storied home of the Broncos.
Football players, island friends, and Pilar, the deeply chill tour dog, were all part of the mix as Chesney played to a personal best of 60,529 members of No Shoes Nation. On their feet from the moment the walk-on music began, they were a synchronized ocean of arms waving from side-to-side in time to "American Kids," "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and "Get Along," as well as tour rarities "Save It For A Rainy Day," by friends Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi and Andrew Dorff, and "Never Wanted Nothing More," by Chris Stapleton.
"Denver always brings the best energy," said the man deemed "The King of the Road" by Wall Street Journal. "Something in the air out there that makes them love music in such a special way. You can feel their joy and the way they experience these songs in a very real way up there."
Having spent two days at the Bronco's training camp, as well as spending two hours each day in their weight room, Chesney hosted the team to reciprocate. He also brought Sean Payton, head coach of the team and a friend for over two decades, onstage for a particularly moving "Boys of Fall;" the pair also brought a young girl onstage to receive a signed Broncos helmet.
"It's such a special bond people have with their football team, whether it's little kids playing pee wee ball, high school's Friday night lights, or college," Chesney explained. "And when we made the video for 'Boys of Fall,' Sean helped us capture what goes into it with a speech to his high school's team - and being able to do that with him was awesome."
Over the course of 27 songs, under what turned into a perfectly clear night, No Shoes Nation and Chesney shared a passion that's come to define the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee's annual shows as a rite of summer. With 36 #1s and almost as many #2 hits, his music has watermarked coming of age for people who understand how to savor the moment and create the best life right where they are.
Whether the foot-to-the-floor celebration of college life in "Keg In The Closet," the burning desire of "Somewhere With You," the looking back on not knowing any better "Young," or the easy going "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems," which he dedicated to his many friends from the islands, No Shoes Nation showed the power of living your life in songs - and showing up with the like-minded to remember how much fun a Saturday night can be.
Presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum, Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour is celebrating new friends and old.
"...because everything gets hotter when the sun goes down..."
Kenny Chesney's Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour Remaining Dates
with Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney & Uncle Kracker
Aug. 3 Nashville, Tenn. || Nissan Stadium
Aug. 8 Columbus, Ohio || Historic Crew Stadium*
Aug. 10 Detroit, Mich. || Ford Field
Aug. 15 Bangor, Maine || Maine Savings Amphitheater^
Aug. 17 East Rutherford, N.J. || MetLife Stadium
Aug. 23 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium
Aug. 24 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium
Aug. 25 Foxborough, Mass. || Gillette Stadium
* Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker only
^ Megan Moroney only
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