Kenny Chesney took a single drumstick and bashed away on the high hat, alongside drummer Nick Buda on the extended ending of “Don’t Happen Twice.” Celebrating the end of 15 nights as the first country artist to headline Sphere Vegas, the man just named Billboard’s No. 1 Country Artist of the 21st Century wasn’t ready to leave the stage. Towards the end of the show Chesney told the crowd, “A couple days ago, they asked us to come back next year,” as images filled the Sphere with messages for No Shoes Nation that read #IGoBack26 and #Summertime26.
“I got a little carried away,” Chesney admitted after the show, “but after all the guests, all the songs we hadn’t planned on, all the people who came from all over, I just didn’t want to keep it a secret. I knew we were coming back, and if No Shoes Nation had half as much fun as we did, I wanted them to know we’d see them right here next summer. What could be better?”
Chesney added to the last two performances with songwriter and friend Mac McAnally. Rather than sing the expected “Back Where I Come From,” the duo delivered their No. 1 duet “Down The Road,” originally recorded on McAnally’s Simple Life. After sharing he only learned the dry-witted Mississippian had written Shenandoah’s chart-topping “Two Dozen Roses” at a concert at the Ryman this winter, the pair dove into the classic.
After talking about performing with James Taylor to sing their friend Jimmy Buffett into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – and citing the presence of Buffett’s sister Lucy on Saturday night – the pair reprised “Come Monday” to a crowd that lost their minds for the acoustic classic.
“For all the intensity of the production,” Chesney marveled, “these shows have been unbelievably fluid, capable of change-ups and crazy requests. Yes, it really is another dimension when it comes to how you experience the music, but it’s ultimately the songs that stand out.
“Mac McAnally proved that,” Chesney continued. “He is such a soul/heart singer, and all the warmth of what he does only grew greater on that stage. Whether it was mostly the two of us and our guitars or something like ‘Two Dozen Roses,’ the audience got to experience the root of what makes him so great. That voice of his, which feels like an old friend, took on an even more comfortable presence. It was amazing.”
While details for next year’s shows won’t be revealed for several weeks, Chesney’s experience lit such a fire under him he couldn’t wait to share the news. “When we said we were taking No Shoes Nation into another dimension, no one truly knew what that meant. Now that we do, we can’t wait to come back and do it all over again.”
