When you’re country music phenom Kenny Chesney, you have the ability to go all out for your cross-country tour! Like any superstar musician, pulling off the spectacle requires high numbers of staff, trucks, buses, and musical equipment. The Tennessean’s 2018 Trip Around the Sun Tour kicks off on April 21 in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium. Check out Chesney’s tour set up by the numbers below!
“The idea is nobody who comes to the show should ever think about what it takes to make this happen,” Chesney shared in a new statement. “But we’ve been having tech rehearsals separate from band rehearsals, building video for the screens, streamlining the production in ways that create less of an environmental footprint while still having a show that rocks.”
The stage itself weights in at an impressive 360,000 pounds alone. While performing, the star will also be utilizing a high-quality sound system and a video wall that is three stories high!
When it comes to sound production, Chesney’s crew is planning to use two strips of 24 speakers on each side of the stage, plus 24 speakers hung from the upper deck and 67 auxiliary cabinets. The speakers in this configuration can project sound to the back of the stadium and even have the capacity to set off car alarms.
“We don’t drive the system at those levels,” Chesney shared, laughing. “But it’s nice to know it can create that kind of sonic intensity. For us, it was really about people being able to hear the words, because these songs are important to them – and they deserve that.”
Besides being huge, Chesney’s video wall is the largest screen he has ever used in his career. The feature has 404 light fixtures and his crew aims to create the best visual experience his fans have ever seen.
“We’ve got 19 buses, 28 trucks and 133 people out on the road,” Chesney added. “Plus we hire 60-75 local stage hands during the week, over 100 on load-in days, and 175 to load-out at night when we’re done. It’s a whole lot of people, but they’re so good at what they do, I am amazed every single time we do this.”
The crew also brings in 60,000 to 80,000 square feet of flooring to cover the ground, but it is an important foundation to make sure everything else runs smoothly.
The process of putting together and taking apart a very extensive and tedious stage setup is complicated. Without so many crew members, Chesney would not be able to make this happen so quickly as he jumps from one tour location to another.
By the time he is finished with this tour, Chesney will have played 156 stadium shows! View the schedule below.
Trip Around the Sun Tour Schedule
Saturday, April 21, Tampa, Florida, Raymond James Stadium
Saturday, April 28, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miller Park
Saturday, May 5, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Bank Stadium
Thursday, May 10, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
Friday, May 11, Charlotte, North Carolina, PNC Music Pavilion
Saturday, May 12, Raleigh, North Carolina, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wednesday, May 16, Del Valle, Texas, Austin360 Amphitheater
Thursday, May 17, The Woodlands, Texas, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Saturday, May 19, Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium
Thursday, May 24, West Palm Beach, Florida, Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Saturday, May 26, Atlanta, Georgia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Thursday, May 31, Noblesville, Indiana, The Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Saturday, June 2, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Heinz Field
Wednesday, June 6, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Blossom Music Center
Thursday, June 7, Syracuse, New York, Lakeview Amphitheater
Saturday, June 9, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Field
Friday, June 15, Bristow, Virginia, Jiffy Lube Live
Saturday, June 16, Columbus, Ohio, MAPFRE Stadium
Wednesday, June 20, Mountain View, California, Shoreline Amphitheatre
Thursday, June 21, Chula Vista, California, Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 23, Phoenix, Arizona, Chase Field
Thursday, June 28, West Valley City, Utah, USANA Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 30, Denver, Colorado, Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Tuesday, July 3, Stateline, Nevada, Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino
Thursday, July 5, Nampa, Idaho, Ford Idaho Center
Saturday, July 7, Seattle, Washington, CenturyLink Field
Thursday, July 12, Rogers, Arkansas, Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
Saturday, July 14, Kansas City, Missouri, Arrowhead Stadium
Thursday, July 19, Southaven, Mississippi, BankPlus Amphitheater
Saturday, July 21, St. Louis, Missouri, Busch Stadium
Thursday, July 26, Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverbend Music Center
Saturday, July 28, Chicago, Illinois, Soldier Field
Thursday, August 2, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 4, Detroit, Michigan, Ford Field
Saturday, August 11, Nashville, Tennessee, Nissan Stadium
Thursday, August 16, Bangor, Maine, Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
Saturday, August 18, East Rutherford, New Jersey, MetLife Stadium
Wednesday, August 22, Columbia, Maryland, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Friday, August 24, Foxborough, Massachusetts, Gillette Stadium
Saturday, August 25, Foxborough, Massachusetts, Gillette, Stadium
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