Kenny Chesney rolls out expanded tour

April 22, 2008 12:04 PM
By Kym Kilgore
LiveDaily Contributor
Kenny Chesney [ tickets ] hit the ground running last weekend, opening his "Poets & Pirates" tour with two sold-out arena shows in Uncasville, CT, and the country star continues to add dates to the itinerary.

The extensive spring/summer outing continues Saturday (4/26) in Columbia, SC, and is scheduled to visit a host of stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters across the US through mid-September. Since last check, shows have been added in Evansville, IN; Canandaigua, NY; and Houston, TX. Details are included below.

The stadium shows on the calendar will feature LeAnn Rimes [ tickets ] and Gary Allan [ tickets ], plus special guests including Keith Urban [ tickets ], Brooks & Dunn [ tickets ], Sammy Hagar [ tickets ] and Big & Rich [ tickets ] on select dates.

Tour openers will be culled from Chesney's "Next Big Star Contest," which allows local bands in most markets to compete for the honor, according to a press release. One grand-prize winner will be given a tour bus to open the final three shows of the tour, $25,000 and the opportunity to audition for Sony BMG executives. Information about the contest can be found at Chesney's website.

On the road, the laid-back country star is performing hits from every phase of his career, as well as tunes from his latest album, "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates," which hit stores last September. The new set debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and has spawned hit singles "Never Wanted Nothing More," "Don't Blink," "Shiftwork" and Chesney's latest, "Better as a Memory," all of which are streaming at his MySpace page.

"Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" helped Chesney land a whopping 11 nominations for next month's Academy of Country Music Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year and Song of the Year for "Don't Blink." The singer has won the ACM Entertainer honor for the last three years and is also the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
tour dates and tickets
April 2008
26 - Columbia, SC - Williams Brice Stadium

May 2008
1 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
2 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
3 - Frisco, TX - Pizza Hut Park
8 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Civic Center
10 - Baltimore, MD - M&T Bank Stadium
21-22 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
24 - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland Browns Stadium
28 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
29 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
31 - Glendale, AZ - University of Phoenix Stadium

June 2008
3 - Ridgefield, WA - Clark County Amphitheater
6 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
8 - San Francisco, CA - AT&T Park
14 - Pittsburgh, PA - Heinz Field
19 - Moline, IL - i wireless Center
21 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field
27 - Oshkosh, WI - Country USA
28 - Cadott, WI - Country Fest

July 2008
5 - Nashville, TN - LP Field
10 - Evansville, IN - Roberts Stadium
11 - Fort Loramie, OH - Hickory Hill Lakes
13 - Atlanta, GA - Turner Field
17 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
19 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field
22 - Canandaigua, NY - Constellation Brands PAC-CMAC
24 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
26 - Foxboro, MA - Gillette Stadium
31 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center

August 2008
2 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field
8 - Detroit Lakes, MN - WE Fest
14 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
16 - Houston, TX - Reliant Stadium
21 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
22 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
28 - West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre
29 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
30 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena

September 2008
10 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
11 - Maryland Heights, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
13 - Indianapolis, IN - Lucas Oil Stadium


tour dates and tickets

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