Kenny Chesney Promises Setlist ‘Surprises’ On I Go Back Tour
The trek kicks off on Thursday in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Kenny Chesney; Photo by Catherine Powell
In just over 48 hours, Kenny Chesney will launch his much-anticipated I Go Back Tour and the superstar says fans are in for a few surprises when the kabuki falls in Charlottesville, Virginia on Thursday evening (March 23).
Chesney and his touring band have been hard at work at the Steel Mill just north of Nashville, Tenn. where they spent a week putting the finishing touches on the show.
Reunites With Band And Crew
“It always feels good when we have our road family back together,” Chesney shared of reuniting with his band and crew for the week of rehearsals. “A lot happens over the winter, so we’re catching up. But we’re also figuring out how to put all the pieces together, trying to make it something that’s really special. Obviously, last year’s tour rocked harder than anything we’ve done, which is crazy to me, but I wanted to bring that passion and energy to all these special cities where we don’t get to go very often.”
This year, the eight-time Entertainer of the Year will return to his roots by visiting the cities and venues where he played on his way up. While the venues may be smaller than the massive NFL stadiums he played last summer, Chesney plans to bring the same energy to the stage each night.
“Getting inside those arenas that we never forgot, playing in some of those cities that were just wild when this started, bringing all the energy we had last year, I can’t imagine how alive it’s gonna be, but I fully intend to find out. The thing about No Shoes Nation I know: they bring us every bit of their heart – so we try to give even more than they do, which is saying something.”
Teases Setlist
Kelsea Ballerini will appear as direct support on all dates of the I Go Back Tour. With his duet partner in tow, and four decades of songs to build a setlist from, this tour promises to be a special one.
“And there are going to be some real surprises in the setlist,” he teased of his nearly 30-song setlist in a press release. “A couple songs we’ve not played in a long time… the opportunity to sing our Vocal Event ‘half of my hometown’ with Kelsea makes me happy. And a few songs are being left behind. I spent the months off thinking about how we can change things up. I think we’ve got a lot of the songs people want to hear, but we’re adding a couple that nobody sees coming. I can’t wait to see the response.”
The I Go Back Tour kicks off on Thursday, March 23 at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. The trek runs through May 27.
Kenny Chesney I Go Back 2023 Tour:
March 23 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
March 25 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
March 30 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena
April 1 Oklahoma City, OK Paycom Center
April 6 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
April 8 Wilkes-Barre Township, PA Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
April 12 Birmingham, AL Legacy Arena at the BJCC
April 14 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place Amphitheater
April 16 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Tortuga Music Festival*
April 22 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
April 25 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
April 27 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
April 29 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
May 4 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena at The Mark
May 6 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
May 9 Grand Forks, ND Alerus Center
May 11 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford Premier Center
May 13 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
May 18 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
May 20 Evansville, IN Ford Center
May 25 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
May 27 Orange Beach, AL The Wharf
June 23 Endicott, NY En-Joie Golf Course*
July 22 Des Moines, IA Hy-Vee Indy Race*
*festival / one-off show dates
Kenny Chesney’s 2022 Here And Now Tour closed out last year as one of the biggest tours of any genre, landing behind only Bad Bunny, Elton John, Motley Crue/Def Leppard and Harry Styles. He’s the only country artist to land a slot on Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Past 25 years for the last 14 and ended 2022 by playing to a whopping 1.3 million people.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
