Consistently ranking among the nation’s most popular touring acts, Kenny Chesney knows exactly how to put on a show. However, when the eight-time Entertainer of the Year decided to take on the iconic Sphere at Las Vegas, he knew he was entering an entirely different ballgame. Following in the footsteps of timeless acts like the Eagles, No Doubt, and U2, Chesney kicked his wellness routine into overdrive—we’re talking cold plunges, plasma exchanges, and infrared saunas. However, nothing could prepare him for the sheer enormity of taking the stage at the $2.3 billion venue.
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Kenny Chesney Had To Rely on His Fans To Get Through Opening Night
Last May, Kenny Chesney became the first country musician—and solo artist—to headline the Sphere. East of the Las Vegas Strip, the groundbreaking venue doesn’t provide a concert experience as much as a “vibrant, visually arresting feast,” according to USA Today. And despite literal decades of performing for stadium crowds under his belt, the 12-time CMA Award winner recalled his mind going totally blank on opening night.
“I’m used to the stuff going on behind me, but up here and in front of me and over here in your peripheral—like, it’s so visual,” Chesney recalled this week on Literally! with Rob Lowe.
Continuing, he admitted, “There was two moments in the show of songs that I wrote… and I was so distracted the first night that I was completely lost in the middle of my own song. I forgot the words.”
Fortunately, Chesney can always rely on No Shoes Nation to come through for him. “I admitted it to the audience—I went, ‘Okay, help me because I’m lost. I’m looking into all this stuff,’” he recalled. “And you know, it was kind of a bonding moment in a way for us.”
How This Year Will Be Different
After last year’s historical run, Kenny Chesney will return to the Sphere in June for five more shows. However, repeat attendees may not necessarily know what to expect. The Country Music Hall of Famer says that the sprawling venue has allowed him to set new parameters around performing.
“I think we’re gonna surprise some people… because some of these songs we’ve never played, and a few we’ve not played in years,” Chesney said during a recent interview. “But I realized we can give people the space to really listen, and that makes all these songs so much better. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with 30, 40 percent new material; maybe more.”
Featured image by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images
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