Chesney Reigns As King of the Road

Chesney fans pack the New Meadowlands Stadium Saturday night.

Kenny Chesney is the country king of the road. For several years he’s been one of the biggest touring forces in all genres, and he continues to set records, such as Saturday night’s (8/13) concert which was the biggest ticketed country show in New York/New Jersey history. The monstrous event at New Jersey’s New Meadowlands Stadium featuring Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington and Uncle Kracker sold over 55,000 tickets.

It was one of a dozen stadium dates on the 2011 Corona Presents Kenny Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal Tour. And he’s not the only country act filling stadiums this summer.

Chesney’s huge catalog of hits has contributed to his major draw. Combine that with top-name special guests and a party atmosphere, and its the reason his outing ranked as Pollstar’s highest-grossing country tour of 2011 so far.

While in the New York area, Chesney discussed his business enterprise with the New York Times in an article called “Country Singer, Songwriter and C.E.O.” In the interview he talks about the intricacies of being a boss and friend, keeping his team motivated with merch lotteries to win the night’s proceeds (sometimes up to $300,000), and the life lessons learned from his high school football coach.

Always the sports fan, Chesney brought New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher and New York Jets coach Rex Ryan onstage for Saturday night’s final moments. He had practiced with the Jets earlier in the week.

Chesney at the New York Jets training camp.