Charlotte, NC radio station 96.9 The Kat caught Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney's Brothers of the Sun tour as it rolled through town. Check out the recap of the show!
Stadium country.
Kenny Chesney is from Luttrell, Tennessee. Tim McGraw is from Start, Louisiana. Now, they are touring the country and stopping at some of the nation's biggest cities. They are playing in mostly NFL stadiums. Tickets are not cheap. They are big time, now.
Chesney, McGraw, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, and Jake Owen were worth the large venue. Each artist delivered plenty of entertainment, starting with Owen's slip-n-slide set in the rain all the way to the show stopping collaboration of country heavyweights at the end of the night.
Jake Owen kicked things off at 4:30 in the middle of a Charlotte summer afternoon downpour. It did not slow him down. A drenched Owen sang hits like Barefoot Blue Jean Night, Eight Second Ride, and Don't Think I Can't Love You. He also showed some southern rock chops with a cover of (fellow Floridians) Lynyrd Skynyrd's That Smell.
To the crowd, Grace Potter was best known as the guest on Kenny Chesney's You and Tequila. But, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals showed what they could on their own. We will call the band a "country rock" act, but that hardly does them justice. Led by Potter's powerful voice, the Vermont band raised a few eyebrows of the country fans in attendance.
Tim McGraw hit the stage at 6:30. The show ended at 11. If you ever wonder how big this concert was, just think about that. Tim McGraw is one of the biggest country artists in the world. In the past 20 years, he is the third best selling country artist (trailing only Garth Brooks and George Strait). He gave the audience a headline worthy set. Singing hits like Something Like That,Everywhere, Just to See You Smile, and Live Like You Were Dying, McGraw showed why he still a force in country music.
But, McGraw did more than give the crowd old fan favorites. As promised, he performed new songs. Tim McGraw ended his set with his next single Truck Yeah. To promote it, the video screen posted #TruckYeah. He was even joined on stage by American Idol winner, and North Carolina native, Scotty McCreery. McCreery joined McGraw on I Like it, I Love it.
As strong as McGraw's set was, there is a reason Kenny Chesney goes on last. Chesney was put on this Earth perform and perform he did. Rising to a platform in the middle of the stadium and performing Beer in Mexico, then hoisting onto a swing that carried him to the mainstage, Kenny Chesney wowed the crowd before setting foot on the stage.
Once he hit the stage, Chesney's energy and stage power was on full display. If George Strait is the king of country, Chesney is at least the president or prime minister. Tens of thousands were in attendance and he had them all in the palm of his hand. Crowd favorites like Don't Happen Twice, Young, Back Where I Come From, and Summertime energized fans and covers like The Violent Femmes' Blister In the Sun surprised fans.
The encore was clearly the greatest part of the night. Chesney returned and sang the first verse to Feel Like a Rockstar. Of course, that's a duet with Tim McGraw, who appeared on the platform that gave us Kenny Chesney two hours before. McGraw sang from the platform then joined Chesney on stage. The pair genuinely enjoyed each other's company on stage. They traded inside jokes and embraced like long lost friends. After Rockstar, fans were treated to special duets of Chesney's She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy and McGraw's Indian Outlaw. They followed that up with a George Strait cover. Potter and Owen joined Chesney and McGraw for a cover of Jackson Browne's Running on Empty.
