It’s been nine months since Kenny Chesney took the world by storm when he officially announced on Good Morning America that he was returning to the road. And since then, the news has gotten even better as it was announced that not only was he returning to Gillette Stadium in 2015, but that he was also bringing along fellow country megastar, Jason Aldean, as well as Brantley Gilbert, Cole Swindell, and Old Dominion! A lineup that is A+ from top to bottom and one that fans will want to get in early for, as there is not one act that you would want to miss.
With Kenny sharing some photos from rehearsals in Nashville earlier this year, fans were wondering what they could expect from this tour. And with a few months in the books, with various artists playing shows with Kenny, our interest and excitement for these two shows at Gillette Stadium has only heightened!
After taking the year off from the road to focus on making an album, Kenny is returning to Gillette Stadium where he is dearly beloved, and he loves Gillette Stadium and New England in return. Hell, Mr. Kraft and the organization even put up a ‘No Shoes Nation’ banner in the stadium prior to the 2013 shows, directly across from the Patriots’ Super Bowl Champion banners. Chesney has played Gillette Stadium more than any other artist or band since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002 and over the last three years (except 2014, as he did not tour), he has played two nights in each of those years.
New England is definitely ready to see one of the world’s greatest entertainers return to the stage and listen to a mix of Kenny’s classic songs as well as songs off his 2014 number one album, ‘The Big Revival.’ We all know what Kenny will bring to Gillette Stadium. But what can fans expect from the supporting acts? We break it down for you below. Check it out!
JASON ALDEAN
“We’ve played so many of these stadiums so many summers, I know just how hard the fans coming out can rock,” Chesney says. “There aren’t a lot of guys out there who can hit it the way Jason does, so I’m glad we’re able to bring both of our tours together for 10 nights this summer. I know what me and the guys are bringing in terms of music, and I know Jason can hang with us!”
Jason Aldean is making his second appearance at Gillette Stadium after he rocked the crowd as an opening act for Brad Paisley in 2010. Many thought that Aldean was going to be the headliner in 2014 before Luke Bryan was ultimately named as the headlining act of the annual country bash in Foxborough.
Aldean has a huge following in New England. In 2013, he sold out two shows at Fenway Park and also holds the record at Fenway for the highest beer sales of any event at the historic venue! (Yes, more than Red Sox-Yankees!) This past summer, Aldean and FGL rocked a sold-out crowd at the Xfinity Center with tickets on the secondary market going for more than $300 each.
Like Kenny, Aldean also released a new album last year, which also reached the top spot on the Country Albums chart, and yielded three number one songs, including Aldean’s current single, ‘Tonight Looks Good On You.’ Recently, at Kenny’s stop in Pasadena, CA where Aldean was also an act on the bill, Jason joined Kenny on stage for ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.’ So there’s a possibility that may happen again in just a few weeks!
Aldean could have sold out Gillette Stadium on his own, mix in Kenny Chesney, and you have two true headliners in one show. How lucky are we, New England!?
“Kenny is the guy everybody in country music looks up to when they think about workin’ hard, building your career out on the road and getting to eventually play stadiums,” added Aldean. “When we first started dipping our toe into that business a few years ago, he’s the guy I would call or text for advice. We have a real friendship. Don’t get me wrong… that doesn’t mean I’m going to make it easy to follow me every night… he’s gonna have to work for it harder than he ever has before!”
BRANTLEY GILBERT
“When you co-headline a tour with Jason Aldean, you’ve gotta get someone who can hold their own to go in front,” Chesney says. “When I looked around, for those stadium shows that Brantley’s part of, he’s the man for the job. He knows how to reach the crowd, how to make them rock – and he’s not afraid to push the rest of us.”
The bad boy of country music with his tattoos, brass-knuckles microphone stand, chains, and deep, raspy voice, Brantley Gilbert has played some huge shows in his career, but outside of large festivals, we don’t think he knows what he is truly getting into, as Gillette Stadium is a beast of its own. The stadium will be full and full early to see Brantley take the stage.
The singer-songwriter played for crowds in both Worcester and Bangor last year with both shows drawing rave reviews afterwards. We expect Brantley to join Jason Aldean for either ‘Dirt Road Anthem’ or ‘My Kind of Party,’ both of which he wrote.
Brantley’s current single, ‘One Hell Of An Amen,’ is his fourth number one song and the Georgia native is set to release his next single, ‘Stone Cold Sober,’ in the near future.
In 2013, Brantley played a free show just outside Gillette Stadium and now he will be able to be on stage, inside the stadium and actually be able to see where he played outside the stadium, which should be a cool moment for him.
COLE SWINDELL
Cole Swindell returns to Gillette Stadium for the second consecutive year, something that only a handful of artists have been able to do, especially for supporting acts. Last August, Cole was the first of four acts on Luke Bryan’s stop at Gillette Stadium, and the Georgia native has gotten even bigger since that appearance! Since his first Gillette Stadium performance he has charted his first number one single, ‘Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,’ before quickly charting his second number one hit, ‘Ain’t Worth the Whiskey.’ And Cole’s current single, ‘Let Me See Ya Girl’ is currently climbing the charts.
Cole also released ‘The Down Home Sessions‘ EP late last year which also coincided with a small headlining tour. But most of all, Cole is the current ACM New Artist of the Year, beating out both Thomas Rhett and superstar Sam Hunt this past April in the fan-voted award!
Don’t be surprised if Cole joins Kenny on stage for ‘Don’t Happen Twice,’ as he recently did just that in Minneapolis.
From starting off as Luke Bryan’s merch guy, to playing the big stage at Gillette Stadium for two consecutive years, we cannot wait to not only see Cole perform in Foxborough but also for what else his bright future has in store for him!
Make sure to check out Cole’s online video series, ‘Swindell Vision.’ You can watch ALL the episodes here.
OLD DOMINiON
Old Dominion has been one of the hottest groups in country music over the past 10 months or so. Boston got their first live taste of the talented group when they opened for Chase Rice at House of Blues last fall. And that show resulted in thousands of new fans and ultimately a headlining show at Royale in April. The group is comprised of Matt Ramsey (lead singer, electric guitar), Trevor Rosen (acoustic guitar, keys), Brad Tursi (lead guitar), Geoff Sprung (bass), and Whit Sellers (drums). If you have not heard of this band yet, you have probably heard some of their songs, as they have written songs that were recorded by some of the best in the business like The Band Perry, Craig Morgan, Sam Hunt, Tyler Farr, and more! And we wouldn’t be surprised if Matt and Brad joined Kenny on stage for a performance his current single, ‘Save It For a Rainy Day,’ a song that Matt and Brad wrote with Andrew Dorff.
The guys will definitely play some of these well-known songs that were recorded by other artists, but they will also play some of their own amazing songs. Songs like their current single ‘Break Up With Him,’ ‘Shut Me Up,’ ‘Nowhere Fast,’ and ‘Dirt On A Road.’
Our advice, get into Gillette Stadium EARLY! Old Dominion will be kicking off both nights with an energetic set, and you absolutely will not want to miss it!