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2007's 2nd Biggest Tour in ANY Genre; 6th Year of a Million+ Fans
Nashville: It was big news when Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland and Sting reunited the Police - and after almost two decades since the British punk trio had toured, they had the year's biggest tour. But it was Kenny Chesney - playing to over a million fans for the sixth year in a row - who followed right behind the legendary band for 2007's second biggest tour in any genre, according to Pollstar Magazine, besting pop phenomenon Justin Timberlake in the process.
“I don't know about numbers, but I know about fans,” says the triple and current Country Music Association and three consecutive and reigning
Academy of
Country Music Entertainer of the Year. “And if we didn't play to the most, I can promise you they were the loudest, the most ready to rock and absolutely the most fun crowds ever!
“When people tell me that we've become a part of their summer, I believe'em. When you hit that stage, and that energy hits you straight on, there's nothing like it… and we've had some great tours.”
With his Flip Flop Summer Tour also being one of 2007's most affordable tickets, easily the cheapest in the Top 5 (Celine Dion and the Van Halen Reunion followed Timberlake at #4 and #5 respectively), at $64.58, Chesney's tour gross finish is especially impressive. Never mind that his tour ranged from dive bars to 6 sold-out NFL football stadiums, as well as the traditional arena and amphitheater dates.
“I've always remembered the times when I'd be scraping the money together to go to shows,” Chesney says. “And I try to make sure that anyone who wants to come and party with us can. You know, it's a big deal to go to concerts and there's nothing like it. It's why we do what we do: trying to capture the magic we had as kids. Thankfully, it's working.”
It's more than working. The first on-sale for Chesney's highly anticipated 2008 Poets & Pirates Tour - sponsored by Corona Beer - went clean in less than 15 minutes, making the 4th year in a row Chesney has sold out Boston's Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. With a slate of dates to be announced later this month, the man who spent 14 weeks at #1
on 2007's Country Singles chart with his solely self penned “Beer In Mexico,” “Never Wanted Nothing More” and “Don't Blink” isn't slowing down one bit.
“We live to play,” admits the singer/songwriter from
Luttrell,
Tennessee. “There is nothing like the feel of being on that stage, making it happen with 50, or 60,000 people out there. When you can have that energy, but also the kind of connection you have in a small bar, you've really found a way to connect with your audience. I joke that like a baseball team, we're six months on, six months off, but that's not true. We're already looking at 3-d renderings of the next year's stage before the tour is over. It's tiring, but there's nowhere you can feel more alive.
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