Kenny Chesney back in the 'Burgh this weekend
Kenny Chesney's “No Shoes Nation” revisits Steelers Nation when the country music superstar returns to Heinz Field on June 2 to celebrate his 10th appearance at the stadium.
The Pittsburgh stop on Chesney's 18-city Trip Around the Sun Tour 2018 – his first visit to the 'Burgh since 2016 – will feature special guests Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and Brandon Lay.
Chesney is spreading a message of love in his latest single, “Get Along,” that he'll be sharing with concert audiences in advance of his 17th studio album, “Songs for the Saints” due for release on July 27.
“Get Along” which he debuted live during the 2018 Academy of Country Music Awards, urges people to “Get along while we can, always give love the upper hand … call your mom, buy a boat, drink a beer, sing a song, make a friend, can't we all get along?”
Message of positivity
“It's an idea people are so hungry for right now; getting along with people, even the ones you don't know, because the world is becoming such a loud, angry place,” Chesney says in a press release.
Chesney took a break from the road last year to focus on his new music.
“Songs for the Saints” follows Chesney's 2016 “Cosmic Hallelujah.” The new 12-track album is his first release since joining with Warner Music Nashville.
He says his message of positivity in “Get Along” is an indication of what fans can expect from “Songs for the Saints.”
Turning point
Chesney experienced the devastation of Hurricane Irma in 2017 when he was among those who lost their homes on the island of St. John to the storm. He said that that while it was devastating, the community's resilience helped inspire his new album.
“I was at a turning point in my life on so many levels, and then Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands,” he said. “It is an album about the refuges we all have, how temporary life is and the way we navigate to better places, dig in and face the destruction.”
Some hits to expect
Concertgoers can hope to hear some of Chesney's most popular tunes, according to Billboard's Top 10 ranking, including his “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,” an anthem about dreaming of a place where there's “no boss, no clock, no stress, no dress code.”
Another favorite, “How Forever Feels,” which talks about a man who has a good life but wants someone to share it with, includes fun memories of beach balls, cruising down the interstate and tropical summer beverages.
His No. 1 song, according to the list, is the emotional “Don't Blink,” about a man who is inspired by the story of a man on his 102nd birthday talking about how life goes by too fast.
And “She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy,” one of the country singer's certified gold records, will definitely get Chesney fans up on their feet and dancing in the aisles — if they're not there already.
Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
