When Kenny Chesney signed on to be only the sixth act and first country artist to play the 17,600-seat Sphere, he understood that he would be re-thinking many aspects of how he and his band would be approaching his iconic live show. With a wrap-around 160,000 square foot screen that extends from the stage across the domed ceiling, as well as sound that can be dialed in almost to the specific seat, the potential to deepen how the songs hit wasn’t lost on the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee.
“I have always said No Shoes Nation is voracious in how they consume our music and the live shows, especially in the stadiums,” Chesney explains. “But now we have the potential with the way this theater is built, along with the super high-definition screen and sound, to almost have the music consume No Shoes Nation. The visuals and the mix will wrap around them, go over their heads and reinforce everything we’re doing on the stage.
“So, it’s not just seeing us, it’s having this whole new super vivid, full immersion way to experience the show, the band and absolutely the songs.”
As he began building the set list for Sphere, Chesney took a long look at his 33 No. 1s, as well as all the multiple week No. 2s and Top 5s, plus the fan favorites that have never been singles – and began thinking about how to build something that would give the concertgoers even more. Needing to shoot content on the patented Big Sky camera, which requires 12 people to operate it, the emotional core and sense of freedom of the songs started to emerge as a theme.
“I have always cut songs that felt real and true to my life,” says the man Wall Street Journal called “The People’s Superstar” of his revelation. “But in really listening, really thinking about what these songs say, I realized: there’s an awful lot of freedom to the songs, whether the narrator or the person being sung about, and an awful lot of facing life on its terms, but realizing you have the power to find the best possible outcome in any situation.
“When we were starting to think about what we should shoot, how to present the songs in this completely consuming environment showed me how much No Shoes Nation has been coming for the joy, but also for the sense that life can be lived fully no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Twenty years into playing stadiums, I’m amazed at the things I’m still learning about the songs I’ve been blessed to sing.”
Sphere is known for its 167,000 individual speakers, which can be dialed in to each section with dazzling specificity, and almost engulfing visual capabilities that deliver over 171 million pixels across the world’s highest-resolution LED screen. When you add in the songs that have defined people’s lives and coming of age in the 21st Century, the potential for the 12-night stand in Las Vegas is abundant.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Jan. 31 starting at 10 a.m. PT via KennyChesney.com. Early access to tickets via various VIP package tiers is also possible now via Vibee, the music-forward destination experience company serving as the official VIP Concert & Hotel Package partner for Kenny Chesney’s Live at Sphere residency. All Vibee packages offer guests a choice of premium tickets including Sandbar (general admission floor) or reserved seating, a collectable laminate and lanyard and access to an immersive fan experience curated in partnership with Kenny Chesney himself. For more information and to get early access to tickets via packages on sale now, visit KennyChesney.Vibee.com.
Kenny Chesney Live at Sphere Las Vegas is presented by Blue Chair Bay® Rum.
Kenny Chesney Rehearses for Upcoming Sphere Shows | Photo Courtesy of Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney Live at Sphere Las Vegas
Thursday, May 22
Saturday, May 24
Sunday, May 25
Wednesday, May 28
Friday, May 30
Saturday, May 31
Wednesday, June 4
Friday, June 6
Saturday, June 7
Wednesday, June 11
Friday, June 13
Saturday, June 14
