Kenny Chesney at the Rose Bowl: See Behind-the-Scenes Photos
Over the weekend, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean had the honor of co-headlining the first major country music show at Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl in the historic venue's 93-year history. It was a moment Chesney, in the middle of his Big Revival Tour, still finds surreal.
"I've seen so many games played there, so much history — and I understand the heart it took from every athlete who's ever come out of those tunnels," says the country superstar. "To stand on that stage, I knew I wanted to try to honor all those folks who've come before us."
Photographer Allister Ann spent the day with Chesney, capturing his unique pre-game warmup and dynamic two-hour show. See what went on behind the scenes right here:
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Take the Stairs
Chesney says he goes to the top of every stadium he plays to sit and consider how far it really is to reach those people in the nosebleeds. He also works while working out, running the stadium stairs while his set is being loaded in and taking in the fans' views from every section.
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Wheels Up
Chesney follows stars including Eminem, Jay Z, Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake in headlining the Rose Bowl, but was the first country act to lead a show there. The avid sports fan took advantage of the sunny load-in day to bike around the property and its adjacent park, taking in the breadth of the stadium that holds close to 100,000 people for a football game.
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Hoops
Because it takes a crew of more than 70 people putting in three 10-hour days, followed by over 150 people putting in eight hours to get the stage ready for sound check, there's a lot of time to wait. When Chesney isn't working on songs or listening to demos – he's reportedly halfway done with his next album, as well as finishing an LP he's co-producing on David Lee Murphy – he stays active. While the crew works, Chesney shoots baskets with a hoop he carries from city to city for pick-up games.
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The Varsity Team
Many of Chesney's "road family" members have working for him for more than 15 years. "Out here, you're only as good as every individual," he says. "Whether it's the rigger getting the lights anchored, hanging on ropes, the people in catering knowing this is a long tour, the stage managers who deal with the local crews — they create the vibe that carries us to show time. That vibe is everything!"
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Sound of Music
Chesney pauses to consider the size of the venue before sound check. "Every stadium is different – and I've played just about every one. When you're doing sound check, you're really trying to figure out how to get the music out there, so taking the time to walk out there is valuable," he says. "And in a place like the Rose Bowl, you can think about all that history, too. This is maybe the most historic football stadium in America alongside Lambeau Field, so I try to take all that in."
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Lighting Up
"There's something about the way the lights hit the crowd," says Chesney, pictured here contemplating his tour's new lighting system. "To me, [the fans] are as big a part of the show and when we can see them lit up, that really fires us up. Those little things really can make a difference."
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Coming Up Roses
After sound check, Chesney takes a moment to take in his more than 20-year career climb to headlining the Rose Bowl. "When you're 16 years old going to see Jackson Browne at Knoxville Civic Auditorium because you're trying to figure out how to get your songs to hold that much life, you don't ever dream of ending up somewhere like the Rose Bowl. You just don't. I'm not sure when the notion of playing stadiums became real to me, but even when you're playing Gillette Stadium or Ford Field, there are places that still seem sort of unreachable. This is definitely one of them."
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Guitar Hero
One of Chesney's three guitarists, Clayton Mitchell takes a solo on "'Till It's Gone." "Clayton is one of those guys who spent his teenage years absorbing every guitar player he could get his hands on," says his tour boss. "He can literally play every lick Eddie Van Halen ever recorded, and that's just the tip of what he knows. Every night, with Clay, Kenny Greenberg and Jon Conley, we hit the music pretty hard – but these guys never lose the melody or the emotion."
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Whole Lotta Harmoni
With the addition of Harmoni Kelley McCarty on bass, the band has found a more rhythmic and melodic way to attack the grooves. A stage pro, McCarty digs into AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" most nights, leveling the crowd every time. "You could say Harmoni plays like a girl, because she really makes the melody part of what she does," Chesney says, "but she's also the first one to lean into the beat and make it drive. With what we're doing, it's been interesting to see how the rhythm section can also have such an imprint on the musicality of what we're doing. And she has a great sense of humor? To sing 'Whole Lotta Rosie' is pretty awesome."
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Fish-Eye View
The fish-eye lens takes an even wider view of the stage and the crowd. "You can't imagine how it looks when you're standing up there," says Chesney. "This is close — well, it's almost close. But to see all those people, singing and dancing to the songs you've pulled from your life – especially a life that's as basic as mine, it's pretty amazing."
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Fast Forward
Members of the No Shoes Nation, Chesney's religiously loyal fans who've been coming to his record-breaking stadium shows year after year, go crazy as he makes his way down the front of the stage, just inches in front of them. His Rose Bowl set included feel-good fan favorites such as "Livin' in Fast Forward," "Summertime" and "I Go Back."
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Poster Child
Chesney takes the time to go down front and sign for the fans who've been in the "Sand Bar" section all day. "You want to touch 'em," the singer says, "and this is one of those things I think lets the fans know you see them, you care. For the people who're higher up, they can get a jump on the traffic, and for the ones down front, I can recognize them in a tangible way. You can't sign everything, but to be able to look them in the eyes, high five or sign something, it's a great way of closing the circle of what we've shared for the past several hours."