Looking back, it’s impressive to see what Kenny Chesney has done over the past 35 years.
We’re talking about 31 number one hits, and the guy continues to sell out stadiums in thanks to his massive fanbase, dubbed “No Shoes Nation.”
With that being said, the guy is hitting the road once again, as he just announced his 2023 I Go Back Tour.
The name of the tour is based off his 2004 smash hit “I Go Back,” the song about reminiscing on the good times of growing up in small town America, and he wants to bring that feeling to his fans for the 2023 tour, and play shows at the venues that he and his band played early on in his career.
He shared in a statement:
“When a year is as hot and alive as 2022 was, you don’t want to try to recapture that magic. Or maybe it’s me. I still have the sounds of diesel engines and No Shoes Nation in my head – and that made me ask, ‘What else could I do? What would be something that would put me every bit as much in the music and give No Shoes Nation another reason to believe?
How can we reach those people who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much…
And that’s when it hit me: ‘I Go Back.’ That song is about holding all those things that shaped you very close, recognizing how special they are – and keeping them alive any way you can.
So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let’s call the tour I Go Back – and do just that.”
He recalled the OG days:
“I remember coming up, the craziness of so many of those dates. Markets where people were using chain-cutters to get onto the lawn because we were so sold out in the Carolinas… and that’s a kind of energy that should never be left behind.
For all those fans – based on how good last year felt – I want to bring what was coming off that stage to you, where you are, so we can all have that kind of experience together!
These songs time stamp people’s lives. They put people in their lives, but they also serve as the touchstone for memories in the making.
For people to come out and either live these songs again, or hear them for the first time? Who knows what will happen? But I know whether it’s ‘American Kids,’ ‘Get Along’ or ‘You And Tequila,’ every single person knows exactly what we’re singing about and singing along to together.”
The tour kicks off at State College, PA’s Bryce Jordan Center on March 25th, and rounds out July 22nd in Des Moines, Iowa at the Hy-Vee Indy Race.
Check it out and see if he’s coming to a city near you:
March 25 State College, 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*
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 The 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
July 22 Des Moines, IA Hy-Vee Indy Race*
*previously announced