He may not be running as many singles up the country charts as Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, but Kenny Chesney is still the man for a stadium party.
The 56-year-old star took some time away from his beach life to bring some sunny vibe to Acrisure Stadium on a perfect June Saturday.
With Pride Fest just a few blocks away, the party started in the parking lot with Chesney fans dropping tailgates, blasting tunes, playing cornhole and beer pong, filling their big black bags with trash and trying not to fight in the Port-A-Potties.
Following tradition, the Sun Goes Down Tour stop began while the sun was still high with sets by former Kid Rock sidekick Uncle Kracker (“All Summer Long” included) and talented newcomer Megan Moroney offering her charming breakout hit “Tennessee Orange” and previewing her forthcoming album “Am I Okay?”
When the sun got lower, the stage went to the mighty Zac Brown Band, who opened in the same building in 2011, back when all their singles were going to No. 1. The now-lean frontman, sporting a buzz cut and salt-and-pepper beard, would have been unrecognizable to someone who hadn’t seen him since then.
He and the ZBB have only gotten better. They hit the stage big and brassy with the country-funk workout “Keep Me in Mind,” kept the fans on their feet with “Toes” and got the stadium bouncing with a cover of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” that had Charlie Daniels smiling down on fiddler Jimmy De Martini (assuming he’s not smiling up).
The whole set was spiked with covers. They let the breezy ballad “Free” flow into Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” building it to a dramatic peak with the fiddle and horns.
The crowd became a loud chorus for a straight-up version of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which they definitely did know.
Can you imagine the conversation with Kenny Chesney, where the headliner’s going “Wait. You’re gonna cover Charlie Daniels AND Queen?” Not an easy act to follow.
And, while they were at it, they threw in “You Can Call Me Al”/“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” and The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” De Martini took the vocal honors on Paul Simon and the Beasties, showing quite the range.
The ZBB flashed their summery vibes with the new songs “Tie Up” and “Pirates & Parrots,” of which Brown said, “I’d like to think the spirit of Jimmy Buffett is here with us tonight.” The late legend was on the screen for “Knee Deep,” the beachy song they did together.
They rocked it to a countrified finish with “Chicken Fried” (with a military tribute) and “Homegrown,” on which he donned a Russell Wilson No. 3 jersey handed to him by the new Steeler himself.
With the sun down and AC/DC as the entry music, Chesney came out guitars blazing on “Living in Fast Forward” and “Beer in Mexico.”
“As you know, this is not our first time playing in the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers!” he hollered, adding that in the early days, this was one of three stadiums he played.
In his record 12th headlining show at Acrisure, the fit-and-trim Chesney, in tank top, tight jeans and cowboy hat, played to every seat in the house, running the ramps and working the stage like an athlete
As always, he came with a set of wall-to-wall fan favorites from the past 25 years played loud and proud by his crack band. For good reason, the camera loved the charismatic Harmoni Kelly and her hippie bass.
The crowd joined Chesney in shouting out party anthems like “Summertime,” “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,” “American Kids,” and “I Go Back,” his nostalgic take on younger days listening to John Mellencamp, Steve Miller and Billy Joel. The happy communal vibe was well captured in the sing-along of “Get Along,” his plea to make America friendly again.
The one offering from his new album, the single “Take Her Home,” didn’t make much of an impression.
Late in the set, Uncle Kracker popped back up, in a T.J. Watt jersey, for a lively combo of “When the Sun Goes Down” and Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away,” and Moroney returned to join him for “All the Pretty Girls.” His best duet partner was Kelly, bringing her Sheryl Crow vibe to “Setting the World on Fire.”
He closed another Acrisure party with the swaying ballad “Anything But Mine” and a Huey Lewis-infused “Don't Happen Twice,” on which he sang a line that described himself well: “You haven’t changed a bit.”
Kenny Chesney Setlist
Living in Fast Forward
Beer In Mexico
Keg in the Closet
Here and Now
Reality
Til It's Gone
Summertime
Pirate Flag
Save It for a Rainy Day
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
Guitars and Tiki Bars
Somewhere With You
I Go Back
Get Along
Never Wanted Nothing More
Take Her Home
When the Sun Goes Down
(with Uncle Kracker)
Drift Away
(Mentor Williams cover) (with Uncle Kracker)
There Goes My Life
All the Pretty Girls
(with Megan Moroney)
Young
American Kids
Setting the World on Fire
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
How Forever Feels
Encore:
Anything But Mine
Don't Happen Twice
Zac Brown Band
Keep Me in Mind
Toes
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
(Charlie Daniels Band cover)
As She's Walking Away
Loving You Easy
Free / Into the Mystic
Bohemian Rhapsody
(Queen cover)
Jump Right In
You Can Call Me Al / The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Tie Up
Sweet Annie
Same Boat
Paint It Black
(The Rolling Stones cover)
Pirates & Parrots
Knee Deep
Colder Weather / Take It to the Limit (The Eagles)
Sabotage
(Beastie Boys cover)
Chicken Fried
Homegrown
First Published: June 2, 2024, 2:55 a.m.
Updated: June 3, 2024, 3:26 p.m.
