Chase Matthew Brings High-Energy Tour to Chicago, Previews Big Plans for New Album and Summer Tour

Chase Matthew has proved that he’s built for big stages, even in the most intimate rooms. Fresh off his standout performance at CRS’ New Faces of Country Music Showcase, the rising star brought that same momentum to Joe’s on Weed Street in Chicago, IL, where he delivered a headlining set that completely transformed the iconic venue.

His current headlining run, named after his single “Holdin’ It Down,” is setting the tone for what’s shaping up to be a massive year. With plans to return to the road with Jason Aldean this summer and release a brand-new album, Matthew is clearly just getting started.

When sitting down with Country Now during this year’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville, Matthew shared updates on everything he’s got in the works. The tour, for one has already been “a lot of fun” for the Tennessee native. It launched in November of 2025 and has continued into the new year, with dates scheduled all the way through June.

He admits that with each stop, him and his band have been seeing a kind of passion and love for his music that’s hard to describe. There was no doubt that was true when he made his way back to his “die hard” fans in Chi-town on March 25. The last time he stepped on the stage of Joe’s on Weed St. was back in 2022, and at the time, Megan Moroney was opening for him.

A lot has happened since then for Chase Matthew and that was reflected through the performance. It brought a level of energy and massive production that pushed far beyond the scale of the venue, living up to his promise at the top of the night to deliver a party like Joe’s has never seen.

“We’re so glad to be back here in Joe’s. We love this place. The people are awesome. Y’all are awesome and we’re going to party tonight,” he told the crowd.

The concert ran for about 90 minutes, but judging by the energy in the room, Chase Matthew could’ve kept going all night and the crowd wouldn’t have missed a beat. He set the tone with “County Line” followed by more sing-along worthy anthems like “Pull Up,” “Drives My Truck” and his latest release, “Bet This Town.”

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Although Matthew didn’t have a hand in writing his newest track, he says he wholeheartedly connects with the sentiment behind the idea of missing home, the memories that remain there with his past self.  

“I will say spending a lot of time out on the road makes you miss home a lot. And this song really resonated with me…so I recorded it and we just put it out and people are really liking it. I didn’t realize how many people probably feel the same way I do. There’s a lot of people that may have moved away from their hometown or they don’t see it as much as they used to, or maybe they missed back home…We all got memories at home and that’s what the song represents. It’s going back home, tearing it up with your buddies. And I feel like that’s what I do every time I get home.”

Anyone who has been to a Chase Matthew show also knows that the setlist doesn’t just pull from his own catalog. He also makes an effort to pay tribute to the artists and different genres that he was raised on, including 3 Doors Down, AC/DC, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, and his soon to be tourmate, Jason Aldean.

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He made it clear that he didn’t expect everyone in the room to know all the songs, he did expect the crowd to have the best time, and between the constant singing and dancing and cheers of excitement with every move, there’s no doubt that he was able to make that happen.  

Matthew believes he owes a lot of credit to country radio for helping him reach so many fans and build an incredibly supportive audience along the way. Singles like “Love You Again,” “Darlin’,” and “Holdin’ It Down” have played a major role in that growth, connecting him with listeners and fueling his rise.

“They’ve really took me under their wing and exposed me to their listeners, giving me a platform that is beautiful. And I’m just grateful for it. I’m glad that I can live out my dream and impact so many people. And that’s really what we’re seeing on this tour.”

He also noted how there’s nothing like hearing fans sing a new song back to him during a live performance, and with his next project on the way, there will be plenty more for them to learn and sing along to. The title has yet to be announced, but Matthew hinted that it sums up two things that he experiences a lot of. Plus, he confirmed there will be some “really good” collaborations showing up on the track list.

“It’s a really cool project. We’ve been in the studio a lot here lately, and I just want to make sure that I get it perfect, exactly what I want. I don’t want to have to think twice if I would have done that differently, I want to just make sure it’s exactly what I want. I got my hands in on a lot of the songs, like production wise and writing them. So I’m making sure that this is my baby. This one has to count.”

Following the show, Chase Matthew made his way to LA to attend the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards as a Best New Country Artist nominee. He will pick the tour back up on April 11 when he begins his run across of Australia.

A full list of upcoming tour dates can be found HERE.