Luke Bryan Reigns At Spring Break Panama City

Kenny Chesney's Half Dozen
7/25 Country Thunder Show Closes Out His Festival Shows for 2010


Twin Lakes, WI: When Kenny Chesney announced that he would not stage a full-tilt stadium-sized tour in 2010, a lot of people thought that meant the high energy performer would not perform at all. Though the man who's sold over a million concert tickets each of the past 8 years was quick to say, he couldn't imagine a summer without his fans, stories have a way of taking on a life of their own.

Now with the announcement of Chesney's July 25th appearance to close the long-running 4-day Country Thunder Festival in Wisconsin, the man who puts the fun in summer has a six large scale performances on the books - and a few more interesting opportunities to make music for the people who love and live his songs in discussion.

“Anyone who knows me knows I can't not play,” says the man who won 4-consecutive Academy of Country Music as well as 4 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Awards. “I need my fans… I need the music… and I need to get out there and feel that energy. While nobody realizes how much work goes into one of my shows - and that's the level of production that I think my fans deserve -- that doesn't mean I don't believe my guys can pick and play with the best of 'em.

“I never intended not to play, I just needed to take my foot off the gas for a year when it comes to creating those huge shows, all the video and lights and staging and stuff. To me, this is taking it back to what my whole career has been built on: the music, the people who love it and coming together to rock as hard as we possibly can - no tricks, bells or whistles.”

In addition to late July's Country Thunder Festival, Chesney will also be appearing at Bama Jam, the Bayou Country Superfest, the Craven Country Jamboree, WE Fest and the multi-genre Hullabalou in Louisville, Kentucky. For the man who's been playing NFL stadiums for the past 5 years, this is a way to maintain the large audiences without having to rent the flooring, the chairs and the extra PA.

“People forget what a place these festivals have in our music,” Chesney says. “To me, it's kinda like what we do in the stadiums: give the fans a chance to come out and spend the day with their friends. You know? It's not just a show, it's a way to live your life in the music… and I know for me, those all day shows have been a blast!”

Currently at work on his late April 2010 “Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D,” the same kind of concert film experience previously captured only by the Rolling Stones and U2, the singer/songwriter is also writing and listening to songs for his next album and dreaming up a couple special projects to be launched sometime in the new year.