Kenny Chesney Review Jacksonville

Hey everyone, it’s Lauren. I’m back home in Orlando after an awesome Kenny Chesney road trip weekend. Altogether my trip was nearly 500 miles- and even with gas at over $3.50 a gallon (plus the cost of tickets), my trip was worth every single cent I spent. I thought to myself, as I drove to Jacksonville, how could it get any better than last night’s show in Tampa? Erin kept you updated on my adventures at the Tampa show- it was amazing- everything about the show was great and I totally thought that there was no way Kenny could top what he and the guys (plus Miranda) did in Tampa. I was wrong, so WRONG.

I guess you could say I’m a Kenny Chesney “expert.” I have seen him many times in many different types of venues- everything from a small bar that can hold about 2,000 people to a stadium of over 60,000. Last night was my 15^th Kenny show- over the years things have changed about the show- the video, the lighting, the stage set up, the set list has changed little by little, but typically, each show is very similar with a few small exceptions. I mean, how can you change it that much, it’s the same performer with the same hit songs… I don’t expect it to change a lot from year to year because there is only so much he can do.

Of all the shows I have been to, (except for Chesney’s Keg in the Closet Tour- where he plays in small college bars), Jacksonville by far was the BEST show EVER. He really set last night apart from any show I have ever seen. Not only did he do all of the songs we know and love from his albums, he played tons of covers and had so much fun doing it.
He told the crowd that there was no curfew so he could play as long as he wanted. He wasn’t kidding- a crew member brought out a 2^nd set list about half way through and I couldn’t believe my eyes. He played for nearly 3 hours! Like in Tampa, Uncle Kracker and Miranda Lambert joined Kenny on stage again to sing a few songs including “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” “The Joker,” and “Three Little Birds.” Uncle Kracker stuck around to sing “Follow Me” and “Drift Away” with KC too.
He also brought out Tim Tebow- the Florida Gators quarterback. I must say, I am partial to my own school, the University of Central Florida (Go Knights!), but it's pretty awesome that Kenny has made a bond with Tebow over the past two years or so.
It was clear to see that Kenny was having a blast up there. He even busted out one of my ALL TIME favorite songs, “Lay You Down.” He said that it was his first time singing in 2008, but I think he sang it during this tour at least once already- but no complaints from this girl. When Kenny sings that Conway Twitty hit my heart just melts. I LOVE IT!!
From the moment Kenny took the stage, all 20,000 people were there to party. I found myself just trying to take the crowd in at many different points. I love to just turn around and watch everyone dance, sing, and scream. It’s just amazing to me to think that one man can bring so much joy to people’s lives. We all come from different facets of life- and people of all ages- but we were all united for nearly 3 hours JAMMING out at one big Chesney PARTY. It’s clear to see why Kenny is the reining Entertainer of the Year. He loves what he does and truly has his heart in it. It seems weird how music can affect my life so much, but it does. I can’t imagine a summer without seeing Kenny Chesney. It just wouldn’t be right.

Thank you so much Kenny and the crew for an amazing weekend. I am still in awe of what he did last night. Simply amazing.