Kenny Chesney kicked off the first night of his I Go Back 2023 Tour at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Thursday, March 23. The venue, though one of the smallest he’s played in years, was still filled with Kenny’s signature stadium-sized energy.
Kenny had the crowd singing along to hits such as “‘Til It’s Gone,” “Reality,” “The Good Stuff,” “Living In Fast Forward” and “All The Pretty Girls.”
The last time Kenny played at John Paul Jones Arena was during an opening slot he had in 2006.
“It was a crazy thing,” Kenny shared backstage prior to the concert. “We pulled up and all of the Statler Brothers were there, and they watched the entire show from the third row. Charlottesville is that kind of place: the very best of who they are come out and just live in the music. I can’t believe we’ve been away this long.”
Fellow Knoxville native Kelsea Ballerini also joined Kenny onstage to harmonize on “Wild Child” and perform their CMA Award-winning duet, “half of my hometown.”
“I wanted to bring all the power and all of the passion that we have at those stadium shows,” Chesney said after the show. “I want every single person who’s in the room to know how much we love them, to feel as good as they’ve ever felt, and to go home hoarse from the cheering and singing. Charlottesville, Virginia, sure made the opening night feel like the biggest stadiums.”
View photos from Kenny’s John Paul Jones Arena show on his Instagram page.
For a full list of dates of the I Go Back 2023 Tour and to get tickets, visit Kenny’s website.
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