Kenny Chesney's Flip Flop Summer Tour

(Also seen on CountryInterviewsOnline.net)

Every year I swear I won’t go to another huge Kenny Chesney concert if he continues to play at stadiums instead of one of the smaller arenas in the Boston area.  But knowing Chesney will only be in the area for one concert each year, I give in.  For the third year in a row, I joined over 50,000 fans to see Chesney’s “Flip Flop Summer Tour.” 

One thing about the Chesney tour – you always get to see other acts that could and often do headline their own tours.  This was no exception. Pat Green and Sara Evans opened the show (although I, like many, many of the other fans missed them while we sat in 2 ½ hours of traffic about 3 miles from the stadium).  Sugarland brought the concert into the dinner hour and Brooks and Dunn did a fantastic 70 minute set leading into the twilight hour. Despite the humidity and almost 90 degree temps, they had everyone up and moving. Neither bothered to chat between hit song after hit song and with red, white and blue streamers shot into the crowd and 4 military medal winners standing at attention during “Only in America” – it was difficult to remember this wasn’t even their tour! 

But it was finally time for Chesney The first year at the home stadium for the New England Patriots, Chesney came out from behind a screen. Last year, he popped up on a small stage mid-field among the seats. This year the curtain fell and he was just there. Despite the pirate intro and his “Kenny Cam” backstage, it seemed like an anti-climax. Since the set included many of the same songs done over the previous two years – there wasn’t much new going on. 

Don’t get me wrong, the concert still rocked. From the first song, “Beer in Mexico,” Chesney had everyone on their feet and enjoying the party. There was mix of old and older songs including “When the Sun Goes Down,” “Young,” “I Go Back,” and “No Shirt, No Shoes.” The crowd roared through the local favorite “She’s From Boston” and they loved the acoustic, “Old Blue Chair.”  The only new song was the new Chesney hit, “Never Wanted Nothing More.”  As usual, the concert ended with “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”.

It is a show and a party – no doubt about that. The $110 tickets, $40 parking fee and $6 hot dogs don’t seem to dampen anyone’s interest in attending. Chesney is a master salesman and he is his own best product. It doesn’t hurt that he shows up in a Boston Red Sox shirt and tells the crowd that come Christmas he’ll still be hearing the cheers from the sold-out crowd.  A new Chesney album is due out in September and he told the audience that it will include lots of new music – so maybe I’ll just have to come back next year and see..