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Kenny Chesney Plots 2023 ‘I Go Back’ Tour With Kelsea Ballerini

The tour will launch in Pennsylvania in March.

By Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson

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Kenny Chesney will revisit some of the tour markets that marked the early days of his career when he launches his 2023 I Go Back Tour. The outing will kick off on March 25 at State College, Pennsylvania’s Bryce Jordan Center the first of 21 dates that will criss-cross the country , including stops in Lexington, Kentucky; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska and more.

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“Music has taken me so many incredible places,” Ballerini added. “Around the world, singing with some of my heroes in pop, alternative and contemporary music, but singing with Kenny is going home. He was the only voice I heard on ‘half of my hometown,’ and when he comes in, it’s just like hitting the Knoxville city limits. So to be able to go out to those cities like the place he and I grew up with an artist who’s accomplished what he has, it’s a lot like going home.”

See the full I Go Back Tour dates below:

March 25: State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center March 30: Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena April 1: Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center April 6: Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena April 8: Wilkes-Barre Township, PA @ Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza April 12: Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at the BJCC April 14: Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place Amphitheater April 16: Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga* April 25: Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena April 27: Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena April 29: Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum May 4: Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena at The Mark May 6: Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena May 9: Grand Forks, ND @ The Alerus Center May 11: Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center May 13: Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena May 18: Fort Wayne, IN  @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum May 20: Evansville, IN @ Ford Center May 25: Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium May 27: Orange Beach, AL@ The Wharf July 22: Des Moines, IA @ Hy-Vee Indy Race* *previously announced

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KENNY CHESNEY Announces Dates For “I Go Back 2023 Tour”

Having played to over 1.3 million fans on his Here And Now 2022 Tour , including breaking his personal best at many of the 21 NFL stadium plays, this summer, Kenny Chesney returned to touring with a major burst of everything good. The only country artist to make Billboard ’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Past 25 Years for the last 14, Chesney wanted to find a completely different way to honor No Shoes Nation for his 2023 concerts.

“When a year is as hot and alive as 2022 was,” Chesney explains, “you don’t want to try to recapture that magic. Or maybe it’s me. I still have the sounds of diesel engines and No Shoes Nation in my head – and that made me ask, ‘What else could I do? What would be something that would put me every bit as much in the music and give No Shoes Nation another reason to believe? How can we reach those people who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much…

“And that’s when it hit me: ‘I Go Back.’ That song is about holding all those things that shaped you very close, recognizing how special they are – and keeping them alive any way you can. So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let’s call the tour I Go Back – and do just that.”

Kicking off at State College, PA’s Bryce Jordan Center on March 25, the 8-time Entertainer of the Year is set to rock Penn State’s hometown with a vengeance. The 21-date I Go Back 2023 Tour will criss-cross the country, returning to the places Chesney first caught fire including Lexington, KY, Grand Rapids, MI, Lincoln, NE and Oklahoma City, OK as well as headlining the Hy-Vee Indy Race in Des Moines and Tortuga Music Festival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

“I remember coming up, the craziness of so many of those dates,” Chesney says of his tour’s inspiration. “Markets where people were using chain-cutters to get onto the lawn because we were so sold out in the Carolinas… and that’s a kind of energy that should never be left behind. For all those fans – based on how good last year felt – I want to bring what was coming off that stage to you, where you are, so we can all have that kind of experience together!”

With a few more shows to announce, I Go Back 2023 is set to focus on the same musical intensity and high energy performances that marked the East Tennessean’s precedent-setting concerts. Having been raised in Knoxville, Chesney knows the power of bringing music to the fans – and wants to recognize the bond that live shows create among friends of all ages.

“These songs time stamp people’s lives,” Chesney says. “They put people in their lives, but they also serve as the touchstone for memories in the making. For people to come out and either live these songs again, or hear them for the first time? Who knows what will happen? But I know whether it’s ‘American Kids,’ ‘Get Along’ or ‘You And Tequila,’ every single person knows exactly what we’re singing about and singing along to together.”

I Go Back 2023 is Presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Wednesday, November 23 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, December 1 at 10 p.m. local time.

Kenny Chesney I Go Back Tour: March 25 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center March 30 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena April 1 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center April 6 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena April 8 – Wilkes-Barre Township, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza April 12 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC April 14 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheater April 16 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Tortuga* April 25 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena April 27 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena April 29 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum May 4 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena at The Mark May 6 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena May 9 – Grand Forks, ND – The Alerus Center May 11 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center May 13 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena May 18 – Fort Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum May 20 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center May 25 – Charleston, SC – – One Stadium May 27 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf July 22 – Des Moines, IA – Hy-Vee Indy Race*

*previously announced

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Kenny Chesney to Embark on Nostalgic I Go Back 2023 Tour with Kelsea Ballerini — See the Dates!

Kicking off in March, the tour will see Chesney play shows for fans "who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much..."

Kenny Chesney is going back to his roots.

Shortly after his massive Here and Now 2022 Tour wrapped in August, the country superstar announced on Monday that he's embarking on the I Go Back Tour with opening act Kelsea Ballerini next year, which will see Chesney hit cities outside of major markets — and many that he hasn't played since his rise to fame.

Launching March 25 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania, the I Go Back Tour will feature shows in North American locations including Lexington, Kentucky, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma before wrapping July 22 at the Hy-Vee Indy Race in Des Moines, Iowa — with more dates set to be added.

Chesney, 54, opened up about the tour's inspiration in a press release, telling fans that he was thinking about how to "recapture the magic" after concluding the Here and Now Tour.

"I still have the sounds of diesel engines and No Shoes Nation in my head — and that made me ask, 'What else could I do? What would be something that would put me every bit as much in the music and give No Shoes Nation another reason to believe?'" he stated, noting that he wants to play for fans "who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much..."

The thought led the 12-time CMA Award-winner to think about his 2004 hit single "I Go Back," written about how music can remind you of important life moments.

"That song is about holding all those things that shaped you very close, recognizing how special they are – and keeping them alive any way you can," he continued. "So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let's call the tour I Go Back – and do just that."

Elsewhere in the press release, Chesney recalled playing some of the cities during the early years of his career, noting the "craziness" of the shows in "markets where people were using chain-cutters to get onto the lawn because we were so sold out in the Carolinas."

"That's a kind of energy that should never be left behind. For all those fans — based on how good last year felt — I want to bring what was coming off that stage to you, where you are, so we can all have that kind of experience together!" added Chesney.

Fans can expect to see the musician perform songs from his catalog that "time stamp people's lives" and "serve as the touchstone for memories in the making."

He said in the statement, "For people to come out and either live these songs again, or hear them for the first time? Who knows what will happen? But I know whether it's 'American Kids,' 'Get Along' or 'You And Tequila,' every single person knows exactly what we're singing about and singing along to together."

In another press release, Chesney spoke about choosing Ballerini, 29, as the tour's opening act following their 2020 duet "Half of My Hometown."

"Kelsea understands everything about where I come from, because she's from there, too," said the musician, referencing the fact that both he and Ballerini grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee.

"She knows how hard it is to leave, how much you miss all those things that make you who you are... but also how the only way to chase the kind of dream she has is to do just that. It's a tough call when you love home the way we both do, but for kids like us, there was never really a choice," added Chesney.

He then recalled the origin of "Half of My Hometown," noting that Ballerini texted him to record the duet: "As soon as I heard that first verse, I was in. And I have been one of Kelsea's biggest fans ever since. She's a writer, a girl who sings from her heart and isn't afraid to honor where she comes from. To me, there was no other choice for this tour."

Ballerini also spoke about collaborating with Chesney on both the song and tour in the press release, acknowledging their hometown connection.

"Music has taken me so many incredible places," she said, noting that she's collaborated across genres. "But singing with Kenny is going home. He was the only voice I heard on 'half of my hometown,' and when he comes in, it's just like hitting the Knoxville city limits. So to be able to go out to those cities like the place he and I grew up with an artist who's accomplished what he has, it's a lot like going home."

Tickets for the I Go Back Tour go on presale for American Express card members in select markets from Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. local time through Dec. 1 at 10 p.m. local time. The general public gains access to tickets the following day at 10 a.m. local time.

See the full list of dates for Chesney's I Go Back Tour below.

March 25 - State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center

March 30 - Wichita, KS - INTRUST Bank Arena

April 1 - Oklahoma City, OK - Paycom Center

April 6 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

April 8 - Wilkes-Barre Township, PA - Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

April 12 - Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena at the BJCC

April 14 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place Amphitheater

April 16 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Tortuga

April 25 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena

April 27 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena

April 29 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum

May 4 - Moline, IL - Vibrant Arena at The Mark

May 6 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena

May 9 - Grand Forks, ND - The Alerus Center

May 11 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford Premier Center

May 13 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena

May 18 - Fort Wayne, IN - Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

May 20 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center

May 25 - Charleston, SC - Credit One Stadium

May 27 - Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf

July 22 - Des Moines, IA - Hy-Vee Indy Race

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Kenny Chesney Announces 2023 I Go Back Tour with Kelsea Ballerini

by Alli Patton November 21, 2022, 1:49 pm

“When a year is as hot and alive as 2022 was you don’t want to try to recapture that magic,” country star Kenny Chesney said in a statement.

Videos by American Songwriter

Instead, the singer has brainstormed ways to make his next tour even bigger than the last. All the while, he promises to bring his shows to fans residing off the beaten tour path.

“I still have the sounds of diesel engines and No Shoes Nation in my head,” the country star continued. “And that made me ask, ‘What else could I do? What would be something that would put me every bit as much in the music and give No Shoes Nation another reason to believe? How can we reach those people who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much.”

That’s when it hit him to go back the way he came. The “I Go Back” way. Fittingly, his upcoming tour is named and inspired by his 2004 hit, “I Go Back.”

“That song is about holding all those things that shaped you very close, recognizing how special they are – and keeping them alive any way you can,” he said. “So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let’s call the tour I Go Back – and do just that.”

Chesney wants to bring the energy of those early days of touring to his upcoming run of shows. “I remember coming up, the craziness of so many of those dates,” Chesney said. “Markets where people were using chain-cutters to get onto the lawn because we were so sold out in the Carolinas… and that’s a kind of energy that should never be left behind. For all those fans – based on how good last year felt – I want to bring what was coming off that stage to you, where you are, so we can all have that kind of experience together!”

Joining Chesney on the road will be fellow Tennessee native, Kelsea Ballerini. “Kelsea understands everything about where I come from, because she’s from there, too,” Chesney said of his tour mate. “She’s a writer, a girl who sings from her heart and isn’t afraid to honor where she comes from. To me, there was no other choice for this tour.”

The two collaborated on Ballerini’s 2021 single and No. 1 hit, “half of my hometown.”

“Music has taken me so many incredible places,” Ballerini said. “Around the world, singing with some of my heroes in pop, alternative and contemporary music, but singing with Kenny is going home. He was the only voice I heard on ‘half of my hometown,’ and when he comes in, it’s just like hitting the Knoxville city limits. So to be able to go out to those cities like the place he and I grew up with an artist who’s accomplished what he has, it’s a lot like going home.”

The I Go Back Tour will kick off on Mar. 25 at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania, and will criss-cross the country for a 21-date trek.

American Express Card Members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, Dec.1 at 10 p.m. local time. General on-sale will begin Friday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. local time.

Kenny Chesney I Go Back Tour Dates:

Mar. 25 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center Mar. 30 – Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena Apr. 1 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center Apr. 6 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena Apr. 8 – Wilkes-Barre Township, PA @ Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza Apr. 12 – Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at the BJCC Apr. 14 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place Amphitheater Apr. 16 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga* Apr. 25 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena Apr. 27 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena Apr. 29 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum May 4 – Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena at The Mark May 6 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena May 9 – Grand Forks, ND @ The Alerus Center May 11 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center May 13 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena May 18 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum May 20 – Evansville, IN @ Ford Center May 25 – Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium May 27 – Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Jul. 22 – Des Moines, IA @ Hy-Vee Indy Race*

*previously announced

Kenny Chesney is going on tour! Check out the details about Kenny Chesney Tour 2024 !

Photo Credit: Jill Trunnell / Courtesy of Essential Broadcast Media

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Recap: Kenny Chesney Launches 2023 I Go Back Tour

Allister Ann

Kenny Chesney launched his I GO BACK 2023 TOUR this week at John Paul Jones Arena in Virginia, which he opened in 2006. According to a press release, the venue is one of the smallest Chesney has played in years, but it was filled with more than 13,000 fans. 

He kicked off the show with "Til It's Gone" and played 29 songs throughout the night for a set that stretched more than two hours. 

Chesney structured his I Go Back 2023 Tour to revisit many of the places he's played and memories he's made over the years. He added fan-favorite songs into the show including "The Good Stuff," "Don't Happen Twice" and "Beer Can Chicken" as a medley. Chesney spent the night working the T-shaped stage, showcasing the musicians and interacting with fans.

"All The Pretty Girls" led into "Living In Fast Forward," "Young," "Noise" and "Wild Child." Kelsea Ballerini, Chesney's support act for the tour, joined him on the song wearing red fringed top with matching stiletto knee-high boots to cover Grace Potter's signature harmonies.

"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."

Chesney's 2022 tour was among the most successful in any genre – having the fifth biggest tour after Bad Bunny, Elton John, Mötley Crüe/Def Leppard and Harry Styles. 

I Go Back 2023, with special guest Kelsea Ballerini, is presented by Blue Chair Bay® Rum.

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Kenny Chesney announces I Go Back 2023 Tour with opening act Kelsea Ballerini

Just weeks after wrapping his Here and Now Tour, Kenny Chesney is already announcing tour plans for 2023.

The singer shared the news on Monday, unveiling his I Go Back 2023 Tour, which is set to launch next March. Of course, the trek takes its name from Kenny’s 20004 hit “I Go Back.”

While the singer hits stadiums in 2022, things will be a little bit more up-close and intimate on his 2023 run. He’s playing amphitheaters and arenas this time around, kicking things off with a March 25 stop in State College, Pennsylvania.

But that’s not all: Kenny has a very special opening act booked for the I Go Back Tour. Kelsea Ballerini , his “Half of My Hometown” duet partner, will join him for the dates.

“Kelsea understands everything about where I come from, because she’s from there too,” Kenny says of the singer. The two stars both hail from the same hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.

“She knows how hard it is to leave, how much you miss all those things that make you who you are…but also how the only way to chase the kind of dream she has is to do just that,” he continues. “It’s a tough call when you love home the way we both do, but for kids like us, there was never really a choice.”

Tickets to the I Go Back 2023 Tour will go on sale December 2 at 10 a.m. local time.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Kenny Chesney Announces 2023 ‘I Go Back Tour’

Looking back, it’s impressive to see what Kenny Chesney has done over the past 35 years.

We’re talking about 31 number one hits, and the guy continues to sell out stadiums in thanks to his massive fanbase, dubbed “No Shoes Nation.”

With that being said, the guy is hitting the road once again, as he just announced his 2023  I Go Back  Tour.

The name of the tour is based off his 2004 smash hit “I Go Back,” the song about reminiscing on the good times of growing up in small town America, and he wants to bring that feeling to his fans for the 2023 tour, and play shows at the venues that he and his band played early on in his career.

He shared in a statement:

“When a year is as hot and alive as 2022 was, you don’t want to try to recapture that magic. Or maybe it’s me. I still have the sounds of diesel engines and No Shoes Nation in my head – and that made me ask, ‘What else could I do? What would be something that would put me every bit as much in the music and give No Shoes Nation another reason to believe?

How can we reach those people who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much…   And that’s when it hit me: ‘I Go Back.’ That song is about holding all those things that shaped you very close, recognizing how special they are – and keeping them alive any way you can.

So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let’s call the tour I Go Back – and do just that.”

He recalled the OG days:

“I remember coming up, the craziness of so many of those dates. Markets where people were using chain-cutters to get onto the lawn because we were so sold out in the Carolinas… and that’s a kind of energy that should never be left behind.

For all those fans – based on how good last year felt – I want to bring what was coming off that stage to you, where you are, so we can all have that kind of experience together!

These songs time stamp people’s lives. They put people in their lives, but they also serve as the touchstone for memories in the making.

For people to come out and either live these songs again, or hear them for the first time? Who knows what will happen? But I know whether it’s ‘American Kids,’ ‘Get Along’ or ‘You And Tequila,’ every single person knows exactly what we’re singing about and singing along to together.”

The tour kicks off at State College, PA’s Bryce Jordan Center on March 25th, and rounds out July 22nd in Des Moines, Iowa at the Hy-Vee Indy Race.

Check it out and see if he’s coming to a city near you:

March 25       State College, PA                          Bryce Jordan Center March 30       Wichita, KS                                  INTRUST Bank Arena April 1           Oklahoma City, OK                     Paycom Center April 6           Uncasville, CT                             Mohegan Sun Arena April 8           Wilkes-Barre Township, PA         Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza April 12         Birmingham, AL                          Legacy Arena at the BJCC April 14         Jacksonville, FL                           Daily’s Place Amphitheater April 16         Ft. Lauderdale, FL                       Tortuga* April 25         Lexington, KY                             Rupp Arena April 27         Greenville, SC                             Bon Secours Wellness Arena April 29         Greensboro, NC                           Greensboro Coliseum May 4            Moline, IL                                    Vibrant Arena at The Mark May 6            Grand Rapids, MI                        Van Andel Arena May 9            Grand Forks, ND                         The Alerus Center May 11          Sioux Falls, SD                            Denny Sanford Premier Center May 13          Lincoln, NE                                 Pinnacle Bank Arena May 18          Fort Wayne, IN                            Allen County War Memorial Coliseum May 20          Evansville, IN                              Ford Center May 25          Charleston, SC                             Credit One Stadium May 27          Orange Beach, AL                       The Wharf July 22           Des Moines, IA                            Hy-Vee Indy Race*

*previously announced

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Kenny Chesney announces 2023 'I Go Back Tour' with special guest Kelsea Ballerini

Tickets for the 'i go back tour' go onsale to the public on dec 2, 2022.

Fox News Flash Top Entertainment Headlines November 21

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Kenny Chesney is going on tour in 2023.

The country singer behind hit songs like "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy," "American Kids," "Get Along" and "When the Sun Goes Down" announced his 2023 "I Go Back Tour," which fans can buy tickets to starting at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 2.

The 21-stop tour starts on March 25 in State College, Pennsylvania, and will wrap on July 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. 

Kenny Chesney announced his 2023 tour on Monday. (Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images)

KENNY CHESNEY CONTINUES SHOW AS HIS BLEEDING FINGER GETS BANDAGED

This announcement comes after Chesney's "Here and Now Tour," where he played at a variety of stadiums across the country in the summer of 2022. His 2023 tour will look a bit different, with stops at different venues. 

"When a year is as hot and alive as 2022 was, you don’t want to try to recapture that magic. Or maybe it’s me. I still have the sounds of diesel engines and No Shoes Nation in my head," Chesney said via his website.

"And that made me ask, ‘What else could I do? What would be something that would put me every bit as much in the music and give No Shoes Nation another reason to believe? How can we reach those people who might not come to stadium shows, who live a little off the obvious path, but who love this music every bit as much," Chesney continued. 

Kelsea Ballerini will be joining Kenny Chesney for his 2023 tour. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images)

KENNY CHESNEY ‘DEVASTATED’ AFTER FAN DIES AT CONCERT: ‘LIFE IS PRECIOUS’ 

"And that’s when it hit me: ‘I Go Back.’ That song is about holding all those things that shaped you very close, recognizing how special they are – and keeping them alive any way you can. So, I decided that rather than just go repeat what we did, I wanted to take this band and these songs to a lot of the cities we played on our way up! Let’s call the tour I Go Back – and do just that," the country singer said on his website. 

Joining Chesney as his 2023 tour is the country singer behind "If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too)," Kelsea Ballerini, who released her new album, "Subject to Change" in September 2022. 

Kenny Chesney 2023 Tour Dates: 

March 25 , Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pennsylvania 

March 30 , Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas

April 1 , Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

April 6 , Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut 

KELSEA BALLERINI OPENS UP ABOUT MAKING THE ‘REALLY DIFFICULT’ DECISION TO DIVORCE HUSBAND MORGAN EVANS

April 8 , Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania 

April 12 , Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, Alabama

April 14 , Daily’s Place Amphitheater, Jacksonville, Florida

April 16 , Tortuga Music Festival, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

April 25 , Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky 

April 27 , Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina 

April 29 , Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina   

May 4 , Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Illinois

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May 6 , Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan 

May 9 , The Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota 

May 11 , Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 

May 13 , Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska 

May 18 , Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana 

May 20 , Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana 

May 25 , Credit One Stadium, Charleston, South Carolina

May 27 , The Wharf, Orange Beach, Alabama

July 22 , Hy-Vee Indy Race, Des Moines, Iowa

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital. 

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Country music star Kenny Chesney on how his music has evolved through grief: "I'm in a much different place."

By Jan Crawford , Kelsie Hoffman

May 17, 2024 / 11:43 AM EDT / CBS News

Nearly 30 years into his historic career, Kenny Chesney still gives it his all on stage. But the country superstar's music has changed after suffering devastating losses over the years. 

"I'm in a unique spot in my life and in my career, because I can't necessarily sing about the things that I sang about even 10 years ago," he said. "I just feel like emotionally and mentally, I'm in a much different place."

His latest album , the 20th of his career, is titled "Born." The record took about four years to make, Chesney said.

"I mean, maybe the album should have been called "Reborn," he said in an interview with "CBS Mornings."

His song, "Wherever You Are Tonight," is about grief and loss, something Chesney has experienced firsthand.

"In the last couple of years, there've been six people that I was really close to, that I can't call anymore," he said. "So when I heard that song, I went, 'Whoa, I know you're in a different place.' I'm talking to myself, right, 'I know you are in a much different place cause you really want to record that song.'"

Chesney recently kicked off his summer tour at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

"You don't dream this. You truly don't," he said about selling out stadiums for decades. 

Originally from Tennessee, Chesney got his start playing guitar in college, eventually landing gigs at a local Mexican restaurant. 

Now, Chesney has played to around 1 million fans, known as his "No Shoes Nation," nearly every summer.

"They just know this is a place where they can feel the euphoria of being alive," Chesney said.

His shows have a party vibe, but behind the scenes Chesney said he has a singular focus.

"I've always been very particular, if that's the right word," he said. "I'm particular about how I like things. I'm particular about how that stage looks. People ask me a lot, they go, 'How do you do this every night on stage? How are you so detail-oriented in the middle of all of it?' Mm-hmm and, and 'how you keep going like this?'"

His drive and attention to detail helps explain how Chesney has sustained a level of fame and success few others have achieved.

"I truly love being that person up there. I love it. And I love being in the moment with them. I love having just enough ego being up there to make the whole night happen," he said.

In addition to the evolution of his music, Chesney said he had to revisit how he dealt with the descent of adrenaline after a show.

Chesney, who used to party while on the road, said he decided instead to prioritize his health. Now, he follows a strict diet, trains like an athlete and even travels with his own ice bath.

"The ice tub changed my life," he said. "I love it because it just calms me down. It helps sustain me up there, and it also helps to heal my body after beating it up all night."

Part of being in a different place both for his music and health means Chesney is also reflecting on this journey, appreciating where it's taken him and where it may go next.

"If you're lucky enough as an artist to get to a place in your life where you're actually competing with yourself, then that's a pretty good spot to be in. You're pretty lucky."

Kenny Chesney's album, "Born," is out now.

• Kenny Chesney
• Entertainment

Jan Crawford is CBS News' chief legal correspondent and a recognized authority on the Supreme Court. Her 2007 book, "Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for the Control of the United States Supreme Court" (Penguin Press), gained critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times Bestseller.

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Kenny Chesney Profile

Kenny Chesney is an American country singer. He has recorded and released 20 studio albums, including his latest “Songs For The Saints” in 2018. He has produced more than 40 top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He is one of the most successful crossover country artists in the world has sold over 30 million albums.

Kenny’s most recent album contains the singles “Get Along” and “Better Boat”. Some of Kenny Chesney’s most popular singles include “How Forever Feels”, “You Had Me At Hello”, “The Good Stuff”, “Anything But Mine”, and “Out Last Night”.

Kenny has won the Country Entertainer of the Year award four separate times. Other notable awards he received include the Academy of Country Music’s 1997 New Male Vocalist of the Year, 2002 Top Male Vocalist of the Year, and the Triple Crown Award in 2005. He was awarded his fourth consecutive Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music on May 18, 2008.

Kenny Chesney Upcoming Events: How to Buy Kenny Chesney Tickets

Kenny Chesney I Go Back tour dates and locations are listed below! Use the links under the "Buy Tickets" heading to purchase your Kenny Chesney seats from Ticketmaster or StubHub.

Click here to book a hotel for your concert

All Kenny Chesney ticket links offered on our site, both official through Ticketmaster and resale through SeatGeek are 100% guaranteed and legitimate. Scroll further down this guide for Kenny Chesney presale codes and latest Kenny Chesney setlist 2024.

How Do You Buy VIP Packages on Ticketmaster?

VIP Packages can be accessed by pressing the ticket icon on the same menu that shows ticket quantity, pricing, and wheelchair toggle. Simply select all of the VIP ticket options and deselect all regular options.

Kenny Chesney Setlist For I Go Back Tour

Kenny chesney presale codes: i go back presale tickets.

All of the latest Kenny Chesney presale codes for the I Go Back tour are listed below. Check out the Ticketmaster or StubHub pages for this tour to find out the onsale date and time for tickets.

Kenny Chesney Live Nation Presale Code

Live Nation changes their presale code monthly and all concert dates for that month have the same presale code. The LN Mobile code has been the same since the start of 2018. The Live Nation presale code for Kenny Chesney is CHEER  and the LN Mobile presale code is  COVERT . To use this presale code:

• Click here to buy tickets from Ticketmaster this tour.
• Scroll down to your tour date and click on MORE INFO
• When prompted, enter in the Live Nation Presale Code to access tickets.

Kenny Chesney StubHub Tickets

As soon as the first presale begins, StubHub will have resale tickets available. These tickets come from concert promoters and bulk sellers and are 100% legitimate and guaranteed. If you don’t want to fight for a presale code, this is the easiest way to get concert tickets. To buy tour tickets from StubHub:

• Click to access the  StubHub  ticket page for this tour.
• Click on your tour date.
• Select your seats to the show!

Other Kenny Chesney Presale Codes

• Radio Presale Code =  HOMETOWN

Kenny Chesney Merchandise & Media

Save money by buying your t-shirts and artist merchandise before you go to the show! Check out the most popular Kenny Chesney merch on Amazon below.

Did we miss anything in our Kenny Chesney tour guide? If you know of any other Kenny Chesney presale codes or ticket details, comment below and let us know.

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Kenny Chesney Tickets: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much are kenny chesney tickets.

Kenny Chesney tickets to the I Go Back tour start at $74.16 and go up in price from there. VIP tickets can cost as much as $259.16 or more.

When do Kenny Chesney tickets go on sale?

The first Kenny Chesney tickets to the I Go Back tour are on sale as of December 2, 2022.

How do you buy cheap Kenny Chesney tickets?

In order to get the cheapest Kenny Chesney tickets, compare prices on multiple platforms. Check out Ticketmaster and Stubhub links for Kenny Chesney and pay attention to the prices for each section. You will be able to save money on Kenny Chesney tickets by comparing prices before you buy.

Why are Kenny Chesney I Go Back tickets so expensive?

Kenny Chesney ticket prices are caused by a number of factors, including the demand to see Kenny Chesney live, number of shows on tour, venue rental prices, and the amount of stage equipment, crew, and staff involved in making the I Go Back tour happen.

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Kenny Chesney 2023 Concert Tour Setlist

By Maxim Mower

Link copied

Kenny Chesney 2023 I Go Back Concert Tour Setlist

Taken from Kenny Chesney's show at American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee, WI on July 25 2023

• Beer in Mexico
• Here and Now
• Til It's Gone
• Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven
• Somewhere With You
• Save It for a Rainy Day
• When the Sun Goes Down
• All the Pretty Girls
• Living in Fast Forward
• American Kids
• Setting the World on Fire
• How Forever Feels
• Don't Happen Twice

Kenny Chesney 's sun-soaked, carpe-diem-livin’, No Shoes Nation army of fans have spent the past few months enjoying a plethora of island-inspired anthems from the Knoxville hitmaker.

Chesney has now completed his 2023 I Go Back tour, which he underlined would serve as an homage to the songs and the venues that helped to propel him to country music stardom when he was starting out.

It all kicked off on March 15 with Chesney's high-profile appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

He's stayed true to his word and playing a range of older tracks from his discography, such as ‘The Good Stuff’ and ‘Big Star’.

The high-octane anthems, ‘Til It's Gone’ and ‘Beer in Mexico’, have been Kenny Chesney's opening songs of choice for a number of years now, and they always get the show off to an electrifying start. Although he switched it up a little for his final show in New York, they have remained Kenny's openers for virtually all his 2023 sets so far.

He then keeps the energy levels high with one of his more recent releases, ‘We Do’ and ‘Here and Now’, followed by the blissfully jubilant ‘Summertime’.

Here you can find Kenny Chesney's updated setlist from his 2023 I Go Back concert tour.

Unsurprisingly, the nostalgic track that inspired the tour name, ‘I Go Back’, is placed at the heart of Kenny Chesney's 2023 set.

‘I Go Back’ originally appeared on Chesney's game-changing 2004 album, When the Sun Goes Down , and celebrates the unique, almost magical capacity a song has to transport you to another time in your life.

Living in the moment and not taking a single second for granted remains a core theme throughout Kenny Chesney's live shows, with uptempo classics such as ‘Young’, ‘Get Along’ and ‘Living in Fast Forward’ all securing their place in his setlist.

Chesney hinted in the lead-up to his 2023 run of shows that he'd be exploring some new options when putting together the roster of songs he'll be serenading fans with this year.

Excitingly, he's included a handful of songs he doesn't regularly perform, such as the euphorically escapist ‘Coastal’ and the fan-favourite ‘Old Blue Chair’.

With Kelsea Ballerini supporting her fellow Tennessean on virtually all his 2023 shows, fans have been excited to see them taking the stage together to perform their CMA Award-winning ode to where they both grew up, ‘half of my hometown’, as well as ‘Wild Child’ and ‘You and Tequila’.

Tickets to Kenny Chesney's 2023 I Go Back tour are available now, and can be purchased below:

For more on Kenny Chesney, see below:

• Kenny Chesney Concert Tour 2023: Tickets and Dates
• The Best Kenny Chesney Songs
• Kenny Chesney New Album: Release Date and Tracklist

Kenny Chesney Concert Tour 2023: Tickets And Dates

ESSENTIALS • The Best Kenny Chesney Songs

Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney And Eric Church To Headline Tortuga Festival 2023

Kenny Chesney - ‘BORN’: New Album Release Date and Tracklist

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• May 25, 2024 Setlist

Kenny Chesney Setlist at Commanders Field, Landover, MD, USA

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• Living in Fast Forward Play Video
• Beer in Mexico Play Video
• Keg in the Closet Play Video
• Here and Now Play Video
• Reality Play Video
• Til It's Gone Play Video
• Summertime Play Video
• Save It for a Rainy Day Play Video
• No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems Play Video
• Somewhere With You Play Video
• I Go Back Play Video
• Get Along Play Video
• Never Wanted Nothing More Play Video
• Take Her Home Play Video
• When the Sun Goes Down Play Video
• Drift Away ( Mentor Williams  cover) Play Video
• All the Pretty Girls Play Video
• Young Play Video
• American Kids Play Video
• Setting the World on Fire Play Video
• Everything's Gonna Be Alright ( David Lee Murphy  cover) Play Video
• How Forever Feels Play Video
• Anything but Mine Play Video
• Don't Happen Twice Play Video

Edits and Comments

6 activities (last edit by funkhouse9 , 27 May 2024, 04:50 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Anything but Mine
• Keg in the Closet
• When the Sun Goes Down
• American Kids
• Save It for a Rainy Day
• Til It's Gone
• Beer in Mexico
• Living in Fast Forward
• All the Pretty Girls
• Setting the World on Fire
• Somewhere With You
• No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems
• Drift Away by Mentor Williams
• Everything's Gonna Be Alright by David Lee Murphy
• Take Her Home
• How Forever Feels
• Don't Happen Twice
• Here and Now
• Never Wanted Nothing More

Complete Album stats

Kenny Chesney

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Commanders Field

• Megan Moroney Add time Add time
• Zac Brown Band Add time Add time
• Uncle Kracker Add time Add time
• Kenny Chesney This Setlist Start time: 8:50 PM 8:50 PM

Kenny Chesney Gig Timeline

• May 16 2024 Hard Rock Live Hollywood, FL, USA Start time: 9:00 PM 9:00 PM
• May 18 2024 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA, USA Add time Add time
• May 25 2024 Commanders Field This Setlist Landover, MD, USA Start time: 8:50 PM 8:50 PM
• May 30 2024 Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview Syracuse, NY, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time
• Jun 06 2024 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time

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Heads up, No Shoes Nation - Kenny Chesney concerts in Pa. are in June. Where to buy tickets.

• Updated: May. 20, 2024, 7:58 a.m. |
• Published: May. 20, 2024, 7:57 a.m.

Kenny Chesney will perform on Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Pittsburgh; and on Saturday, June 8 in Philadelphia. Michael Greenlar

• Deb Kiner | [email protected]

No Shoes Nation - your first two weekends in June are booked.

Kenny Chesney is bringing his “Sun Goes Down Tour 2024″ to Pa. the first two weekends in June - Saturday, June 1 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, and Saturday, June 8 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

As an added bonus, both concerts also include the Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker.

Fans can find “The Good Stuff” here (prices are as of the time of this post):

Saturday, June 1, Pittsburgh

• SeatGeek, prices start at $98
• Stubhub, prices start at $34
• Vivid Seats, prices start at $61

Saturday, June 8, Philadelphia

• SeatGeek, prices start at $123
• Stubhub, prices start at $120
• Vivid Seats, prices start at $118

In March, Chesney released his 20th studio album called “Born.”

Chesney said “Born” was not planned. “... we never set out to make a record, just explore songs and moments for the same of music. All of sudden, time had passed and somehow we had all these songs that looked like different pieces of who I – and just about everyone in No Shoes Nation, too – am.

“It wasn’t a master plan. There was no theme we’re singing about that holds it together. But if you listen to all 15 songs, you’ll get the high energy fun, chasing adventures, don’t let people get you down piece and  you’ll get the more reflective thinking about someone who’s died, the person you know you shouldn’t call, emotions that have always been in the music, too.”

Other upcoming country music concerts in Pa. include:

June 20 - Brothers Osborne in Pittsburgh

June 20 - Tim McGraw in Philadelphia

July 5 - Walker Hayes at Hollywood Casino in Grantville

July 7 - Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson at Hersheypark Stadium

July 12 - Chris Stapleton in Burgettstown

July 19 - Kane Brown at the York State Fair

July 19 - Dierks Bentley in Scranton

July 21 - Lainey Wilson at the York State Fair

July 22 - Jon Pardi at the York State Fair

Aug. 2 - Dan + Shay in Burgettstown

Aug. 3 - Jason Aldean in Scranton

Live Entertainment

• Comedian Pete Davidson will perform in Harrisburg this fall: Ticket presale starts today
• Marco Antonio Solís, ‘El Buki,’ announces tour that includes 1 stop in Pa. Where to buy tickets.
• Marianas Trench announces ‘Force of Nature’ tour with 2 stops in Pa.: Where to buy tickets
• Comedy shows coming to Pa. you don’t want to miss: Where to buy tickets.

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Summer concert series returns to Delray Beach Friday night with Kenny Chesney tribute band

DELRAY BEACH — After Summer at the Square's success last year, the free sunset concert series is back. It'll kick off this Friday at Old School Square, with a tribute to country star Kenny Chesney.

Delray's Summer at the Square series launched last year, after the Downtown Development Authority took over the operation of all Old School Square's events, programs and exhibitions in the spring.

The inaugural concert Friday, May 24, will feature Fast Forward, The Ultimate Kenny Chesney Tribute , plus a line dancing lesson for those who arrive early. It'll be followed by four other concerts, held on the fourth Friday of the month, from May through September.

The Ultimate Kenny Chesney Tribute: What to expect

Derek "Cowboy Kenny" Villegas started his first band nearly 25 years ago. During years as a lead vocalist playing honky-tonks and and dance halls throughout Texas, Villegas often was compared to Chesney, both because of his looks and sound. Villegas eventually moved to Florida and started performing with Fast Forward as "Kenny Chesney." The result is "Fast Forward, The Ultimate Kenny Chesney Tribute," a high-energy, Chesney-style concert that includes the country star's biggest hits.

Gates to the concert will open at 5:30 p.m. From 6:15 to 7 p.m., country recording artist and songwriter Gabriel Key will teach line dancing, followed by the opening act from 7 to 8 p.m. Villegas will go on at 8 p.m.

Entrance is free, but VIP tickets, for $50, grant access to a lounge area with seating, a bar and a drink voucher. They can be purchased online . Local restaurant vendors, too, will be featured onsite.

What else will 'Summer at the Square' bring to Delray Beach?

The sunset concert series will feature artists from various genres — country, rock n' roll and reggae, to name a few.

On June 28, the summer series will bring The Shaelyn Band to Old School Square. It's a soul and rock blues band based in Florida, fronted by Shaelyn "Shae" Mulberry.

On July 26, Mural Fest Reggae Celebration will take Old School Square for the third installment in the series. The event will feature various local and regional reggae bands, in celebration of the second annual Delray Walls Mural Fest.

Artists for the final two summer series events have not yet been posted, but they'll be held on Aug. 23 and Sept. 27.

More upcoming events at Old School Square this summer:

Other events to look out for at Old School Square as summer approaches include Wellness Wednesdays , which are $5 yoga classes held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Wednesday from now through Sept. 25, Coco Market , a monthly event featuring free yoga classes, meditation courses and local vendors, and First Friday Art Walks , tours of the Cornell Art Museum held on the first Friday of every month.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at  [email protected]  and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at  @jasminefernandz . Help support our work.  Subscribe today .

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Summer concert series returns to Delray Beach Friday night with Kenny Chesney tribute band

Uncle Kracker joins WTOP ahead of Kenny Chesney’s ‘Sun Goes Down’ Tour at Commanders Field in Md.

Jason Fraley | [email protected]

May 21, 2024, 12:11 AM

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In 2004, Uncle Kracker collaborated with Kenny Chesney on the tropical country hit “When the Sun Goes Down.”

This Saturday, they celebrate the song’s 20th anniversary with the “Sun Goes Down” Tour at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland, alongside the Zac Brown Band and Megan Maroney for a day of tailgating fun and music.

“Absolutely nothing like it,” Uncle Kracker told WTOP. “Aside from him being one of the greatest entertainers I’ve ever seen, I can’t put my thumb on it. Aside from him being awesome, he’s just a ball of energy. I don’t know anybody who can run around for two straight hours like he can, but it’s just nonstop from probably 9 a.m. These people are out in the parking lot drinking until the show is done. It’s insane. … Everybody’s working for the weekend.”

Born in Michigan in 1974, Uncle Kracker grew up listening to B.J. Thomas and James Taylor. He broke into the music business when his older brother squared off against Kid Rock in a DJ battle in the Detroit area.

“There was a bar outside of Detroit that turned into a teen club on Sunday nights,” Uncle Kracker said.

“The Electrifying Mojo used to be a disc jockey on WJLB in Detroit, he used to hold these DJ battles on Sundays and they were a big thing. My brother went up against Kid Rock in one of these battle competitions. Kid Rock showed up, he didn’t even bring his turntables, he paid my brother $100 to use his turntables then smoked him on his own tables.”

From there, he joined Kid Rock’s backing band Twisted Brown Trucker alongside the late Joe C. and others. Uncle Kracker was featured on Kid Rock’s debut album “Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp” (1996) and his smash sophomore album “Devil without a Cause” (1998), featuring the hits “Bawitdaba,” “Cowboy” and “Only God Knows Why.”

“Man, we had a lot of fun, that’s for sure,” Uncle Kracker said. “I wrote a lot of them with him and a lot of the backup vocals are me on there. I DJ’d live, but Kid Rock did all of the scratching and stuff on the albums himself because he’s better than I am, but definitely fun, it was definitely a time to be alive, that’s for sure.”

Their next album, “The History of Rock” (2000), featured “American Badass,” which was not only used by the WWF’s Undertaker but also declared the group’s genre-defying intentions: “I like AC-DC and ZZ Top, Bocephus, Beasties and the Kings of Rock, Skynyrd, Seger, Limp, Korn, the Stones, David Allen Coe and No Show Jones.”

“I remember the record label hating us for [crossing genres],” Uncle Kracker said. “We turned in ‘Only God Knows Why,’ and I talked to the A&R guy like, ‘Did you listen to ‘Only God Knows Why?’ and he’s like, ‘That country song? What the f**k are we gonna do with that?’ Back then, it was so different, too. We were all so young and we loved music so much. It was the camaraderie that was special. You’d write something like, ‘Listen to this!’ It was a competition.”

While Kid Rock was busy recording “Cocky” (2001) with the Sheryl Crow duet “Picture,” Uncle Kracker finally got a chance to release his first solo album “Double Wide” (2000), smashing the pop charts with the single “Follow Me.”

“I wrote that thing in my bedroom one night,” Uncle Kracker said. “[Kid Rock] just started straying from the rap stuff at one point and I was like, ‘Man, I can do that, let’s try that,’ so I hummed this ‘Follow Me’ thing and he was like, ‘Man, that sounds like some really dark James Taylor sh*t.’ The melody and lyrics were much cooler than the version that got put out [on the radio]. It was all finger snaps and melody, mainly to pay homage to the old Motown stuff.”

Uncle Kracker again went retro on his second solo album “No Stranger to Shame” (2002), featuring a hit cover of the golden oldie “Drift Away,” even inviting original singer Dobie Gray to appear on the song and music video.

“When ‘Follow Me’ started taking off, I would have to go to these radio stations in the morning and do like an acoustic thing,” Uncle Kracker said.

“They’d want like three songs acoustic in the middle of the morning show interview, but I didn’t have anything else on the record that sounded like ‘Follow Me,’ so Kid Rock suggested I do ‘Drift Away’ acoustically for all these promo things — and that’s how I ended up cutting ‘Drift Away’ for the second album.”

His third solo album “Happy Hour” (2009) delivered another hit single with “Smile,” but by then Uncle Kracker was already touring with Chesney after their successful country music duet “When the Sun Goes Down” (2004).

“Kenny had reached out to me,” Uncle Kracker said. “He calls Kid Rock and says, ‘Do you think Uncle Kracker would come out and do a couple with me for an encore scenario?’ Of course, Kid Rock’s like, ‘I dunno, call him yourself,’ so I get this call like, ‘Hey this is Kenny Chesney,’ and I’m like, ‘Who?’ I had no clue who he was! … It’s been 20 years since ‘Sun Goes Down’ for us. It’s crazy to think that much time has passed and I’m still doing this.”

Hear our full conversation on the podcast below:

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Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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Top 20 outdoor concerts of summer 2024 in WA

Despite a few early outliers, Memorial Day weekend typically marks the unofficial start of summer concert season. This year’s holiday weekend slate is especially heavy with piano man Billy Joel taking T-Mobile Park, the opening of Seattle Theatre Group’s new Remlinger Farms venue in Carnation, two-nighters with Sarah McLachlan at Chateau Ste. Michelle and dance music titan Illenium at the Gorge Amphitheatre and the 53rd annual Northwest Folklife Festival.

Of course, as rain clouds grow scarcer, the open-air party is just getting started. Here are 20 of the top outdoor concerts and festivals coming to the Seattle area through Labor Day weekend, with an honorable mention to Bumbershoot, which had yet to reveal its lineup at the time of this writing.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The funky pop rockers were feeling California casual when they last pulled into their grunge buddies’ hometown for a midsummer night at T-Mobile Park back in 2022, two months before dropping their second lengthy album of that year. RHCP are still sailing on those sprawling/kinda bloated 2022 LPs — “Unlimited Love” and “Return of the Dream Canteen” — their first since reuniting with heyday guitarist John Frusciante.

May 31; Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy; tickets start at $175 ; livenation.com

Jon Batiste

New Orleans’ genre-dabbling jazzman has been on a tear since winning album of the year at the 2022 Grammys and leaving his post as Stephen Colbert’s late-night bandleader. The affable piano man steps up to Chateau Ste. Michelle this summer following a February Paramount Theatre engagement, still touring on last year’s sonically ambitious “World Music Radio.” Batiste is an early-season standout amid a strong Woodinville slate that also features country/pop star Maren Morris; Americana heavyweights Charley Crockett and Jason Isbell; alt-rock shape-shifter Beck performing with a symphony orchestra; and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. 

June 5; Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville; standard tickets sold out, packages available starting at $270; ste-michelle.com

Beyond Wonderland

Washington’s premier EDM festival returns to the Gorge one year after a campground shooting left two people dead and three injured. As a lawsuit against Live Nation and festival organizers unfolds in the background, the beat goes on at Beyond Wonderland with electronic stars Mellodeath — a team up between crossover producer Marshmello and dubstep destroyer SVDDEN DEATH — Alison Wonderland, Rezz, Kayzo, Dillon Francis, Zedd and more.

June 22-23; Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy ; single-day tickets start at $158, two-day passes $229; camping starts at $202 ; pnw.beyondwonderland.com

This folk-pop sensation’s massive online following boiled over to a chart-conquering Lumineerian buzz last year, coming on the heels of his late 2022 “Stick Season” LP. The Vermont singer-songwriter, who was up for a best new artist Grammy this year, will play his biggest (by a longshot) local show yet, taking on the Gorge.

June 29; Gorge Amphitheatre , 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy; sold out ; livenation.com

The Seattle electronic heavyweights are concluding “The Last Goodbye” album cycle the same way they started it two summers ago: with a three-night blowout at the largest home state venue they’ve ever played, this time stepping up to the Gorge Amphitheatre after a mesmerizing Climate Pledge Arena run in 2022. On May 31, ODESZA will release an appetite-whetting live album, “The Last Goodbye Tour Live,” recorded over the last two years.

July 4-6; Gorge Amphitheatre , 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy; remaining single-day tickets start at $80 ; livenation.com

Canada’s new leading pop export looks to bring a younger crowd to Chateau Ste. Michelle than the usual wine-and-cheese set that flocks to one of Greater Seattle’s most popular outdoor venues each summer. The freshly minted 20-year-old pop star is riding the success of “Greedy,” her first Top 10 hit and infectious lead single off sophomore album “Think Later,” replete with very Canadian cover art of Tate McRae wearing hockey goalie pads.

July 7; Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville ; remaining demand-priced tickets $444 ; ste-michelle.com

Day In Day Out

The chiller sibling to Capitol Hill Block Party slides up a month in the calendar this year, due to scheduling reasons at Seattle Center, while expanding to a third day after its first sellout in 2023. DIDO continues to shoulder some of the buzzy indie-rock acts that have subtly waned from Block Party’s main stage over the years while offering a less frenetic experience on the Fisher Pavilion lawn. Alt-pop fan favorite Carly Rae Jepsen, Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers and hometown heroes The Head and the Heart headline.

July 12-14; Fisher Green Pavilion at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle ; single-day tickets start at $130, two-day $225, three-day $275, kids 8 and under free ; dayindayoutfest.com

Kenny Chesney

Country’s rum-endorsing king of summer circles back to Seattle this year, bringing his island vibes and No Shoes Nation fan base to Lumen Field. Armed with decades of country radio hits, the perpetually sleeveless honky-tonker remains one of the genre’s biggest draws and his Sun Goes Down tour features some serious firepower among its supporting cast. For this run, Chesney is joined by the country rockin’ stalwarts Zac Brown Band and red-hot newcomer Megan Moroney, who turned Nashville heads last year with her breakout single “Tennessee Orange.” Also performing: Uncle Kracker, Chesney’s back-in-the-day duet partner on the tour’s 2004 namesake, “When the Sun Goes Down.”

July 13; Lumen Field, 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle ; tickets starting at $30 ; lumenfield.com

Capitol Hill Block Party

Seattle’s unmatched party of the summer will continue its Pike-Pine reign with firepower aplenty across its ready-to-dance lineup headlined by electronic maestro Kaytranada, psych-pop vibesmith Still Woozy and funky alt-pop star Remi Wolf — a standout from Block Party ’22 — stepping in for Kim Petras, who scrapped her summer festival slate due to health issues. Deal-chasing festival hoppers take heed of the combination DIDO/CHBP passes starting at $349.

July 19-21; Capitol Hill; 1122 E. Pike St., Seattle ; single-day tickets $105-$149, two-day passes $179-$225, three-day passes $235-$365 ; capitolhillblockparty.com

Chris Stapleton

This soulful country star is starting to get familiar with Sodo. Following a Lumen Field supporting slot with country legend  George Strait last year , Chris Stapleton returns to Seattle’s stadium district for his own headlining date across Royal Brougham Way. This time, Stapleton’s bringing a country legend with him, as a 91-years-young Willie Nelson will link up with Stapleton’s seemingly endless All-American Road Show Tour just for the Seattle date. Upping the ante for a loaded triple bill, recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Sheryl Crow hops aboard too.

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July 27; T-Mobile Park; 1250 First Ave. S., Seattle ; sold out ; ticketmaster.com

The fledgling Afrobeats fest became the most exciting new addition to Seattle’s festival landscape during its inaugural event in 2023. For a follow-up act, organizers tapped one of the genre’s brightest lights, Davido, who earned three Grammy nods stemming from last year’s “Timeless” LP, to headline Year 2. The Afrobeats titan is joined by Nigerian model-turned-singer Ayra Starr — a late scratch from last year’s lineup — rising singer/rapper Shallipopi, South African producer Musa Keys, Sarz and more.

July 27; Fisher Green Pavilion at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle ; tickets start at $90 ; blastmusicfest.com

After canceling last year’s appearance at Washington’s preeminent country bash due to illness, Luke Bryan was reslotted as the denim-wrapped centerpiece of Watershed’s 2024 lineup. The country superstar’s fellow headliners are spitshined Nashville vets Old Dominion and Hardy, one of Music Row’s latest behind-the-scene’s songwriters to make it big on their own, while drawing influences from contemporary hip-hop and rock. Hardy’s star-solidifying murder ballad “Wait in the Truck” with Lainey Wilson, who headlines White River Amphitheatre on Sept. 27, remains the most chilling mainstream country hit of the last two years.

Aug. 2-4; Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy; three-day passes start at $295, camping $225-$1,035; watershedfest.com

Remlinger Farms’ inaugural summer lineup is a trusty mix of time-tested greats (Elvis Costello, Parliament Funkadelic, Blondie) and new-guard splash-makers stepping into larger venues (Hiatus Kaiyote, Goose, Goth Babe). But the centerpiece is THING, the indie-centric festival sliding over to the Snoqualmie Valley after three years in Port Townsend. This year’s leading acts include art-rock auteur St. Vincent, synth rockers Toro y Moi, Grammy darling soul rockers Black Pumas and revered rappers Earl Sweatshirt and Killer Mike. While on-site parking is free, Seattle Theatre Group is working on a ticketed shuttle service with pickup points around the Seattle area for all shows. Details to come.

Aug. 9-11; Remlinger Farms; 32610 N.E. 32nd St., Carnation ; single-day passes start at $129-$300, three-day passes $349-$825 ; thingnw.org

Willie Nelson + Bob Dylan

That Seattle date with Stapleton isn’t the only time ol’ Willie’s passing through this summer. The country icon’s always-stacked Outlaw Music Festival blows into the Gorge with arguably the heaviest of heavy hitter lineups this summer. The 91-year-old Nelson is accompanied by another one of America’s greatest living songwriters, Bob Dylan, a third Rock & Roll Hall of Famer in John Mellencamp and new-school star Billy Strings — a progressive bluegrass ripper who could probably headline the Gorge on his own. Washington lucked out landing the only tour stop on which Strings joins the trio of greats.

Aug. 10; Gorge Amphitheatre , 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy; tickets start at $78 ; livenation.com

Sierra Ferrell

The Nashville-based Americana breakout has been bubbling in roots circles for the past few years, earning an emerging artist of the year award from the Americana Music Association in 2022. With her new album “Trail of Flowers,” Sierra Ferrell is deservedly getting hers, making her headlining debut at the Ryman Auditorium and playing some of the biggest venues of her career supporting Zach Bryan and The Avett Brothers this spring. Punk rocker-turned-alt-country singer-songwriter Nick Shoulders opens.

Aug. 11; Woodland Park Zoo; 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle ; sold out ; zoo.org

Country-pop star Kane Brown looks to fill his biggest Seattle boots yet, bumping up to the stadium district after his 2022 headliner at Climate Pledge Arena. This month the crossover-savvy Brown released the fist-pumping single “Miles on It” with Marshmello, marking the second time he’s connected with the EDM-pop hitmaker. Ticket sales for Brown’s T-Mobile Park date have been sluggish out of the gate, with a “buy one get one” special offering two upper-level tickets for $44.50 (a stadium country steal) at the time of this writing.

Aug. 16; T-Mobile Park; 1250 First Ave. S., Seattle ; tickets start at $29 ; ticketmaster.com

Waxahatchee

2020’s critically acclaimed “Saint Cloud” was a marked shift for Waxahatchee, the musical vehicle of singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield, leaning into a gentle-breeze alt-country sound in step with her Alabama roots. The mood continued with her Plains duo album with twangy contemporary Jess Williamson in 2022 and the latest Waxahatchee LP, “Tigers Blood,” one of the most well-received indie-rock records of the year. Waxahatchee’s ZooTunes date is perhaps the buzziest of the zoo’s stellar (and nearly sold-out) season, also featuring Seattle indie rockers Car Seat Headrest and hip-hop’s live-band standard-bearers The Roots.

Aug. 18; Woodland Park Zoo; 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle ; sold out ; zoo.org

Foo Fighters

Another legacy rock band forging on after the death of their drummer, Dave Grohl and the Foos channeled their vintage fuzzed-bombed, big-hooking ways on last year’s “But Here We Are” — the band’s first album without the late Taylor Hawkins since 1997’s “The Colour and the Shape.” Riding the album’s emotional outpouring, the Foo Fighters embark on their Everything or Nothing at All Tour, which hits T-Mobile Park this summer. It’ll be the band’s first trip back to their birth city since  christening Climate Pledge Arena  shortly before being  inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . Support from the Pretenders and Alex G makes this one of the best stadium rock bills of the summer.

Aug. 18; T-Mobile Park; 1250 First Ave. S., Seattle ; s old out; ticketmaster.com

Seven years after they  last pulverized Lumen Field , the Bay Area metal gods are doubling down on their stadium-crushing ways. With their M72 World Tour (the name evoking their thrashtastic new double album “72 Seasons”), Metallica are bringing “no-repeat weekends” to select cities around the world, playing two shows per town with different openers and set lists each night. It’s a fresh approach for a band which, if there’s any knock against their colossal live shows, it’s the relative predictability of their song selections. Joined by openers Pantera and Mammoth WVH the first night and Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills the second, Metallica’s Seattle stand is their last on U.S. soil before closing the tour with a four-night, two-weekend blitz in Mexico City.

Aug. 30 and Sept. 1; Lumen Field; 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle ; single-night tickets start at $55 ; lumenfield.com

Dave Matthews Band

This spring brought word that the jammy, folk-rocking behemoths and their Seattleite frontman will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this fall. But before receiving their Rock Hall flowers, DMB and their legion of rabid fans will convene for their annual “Labor Dave weekend” at the Gorge — three nights of intricate, freewheeling musicianship and Matthews’ gently darting vocals.

Aug. 30-Sept. 1; Gorge Amphitheatre , 754 Silica Road N.W., Quincy; single-day tickets start at $67, three-night lawn pass $162 ; livenation.com

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

San Diego summer concert guide: 42 shows you won’t want to miss

Our picks range from such hometown heroes as Jewel, Gregory Porter, blink-182, Charles McPherson and Alison Brown to legends like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson to Lainey Wilson, Tinariwen, Los Lobos and Soft Machine, which will perform in San Diego for the first time since 1968.

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Year in and year out, the advent of summer in San Diego is predictable for music fans in at least two key ways.

Some of the highest-profile concert tours of the season will bypass us, so you’ll have to go to Los Angeles to catch performances by the Rolling Stones, Usher, Olivia Rodrigo, Kenny Chesney, Megan Thee Stallion, The Black Keys, Laufey or Childish Gambino.

Happily, several major tours have already come here this year, including those by Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Chris Stapleton and the Billy Joel/Sting double-header at Petco Park.

Review: Neil Young & Crazy Horse strike heart of gold at tour-opening San Diego concert

The concert began with an epic, 15-minute version of ‘Cortez The Killer’ that featured extra lyrics recently unearthed by Young. Guitarist-singer Micah Nelson, Willie’s son, very ably assumed the role in Crazy Horse of Nils Lofgren, now on tour with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.

April 25, 2024

Moreover, so many tours are headed this way this summer — to stadiums, clubs, concert halls and amphitheaters — that there’s no need to travel past the county line to be overwhelmed by the number of options. Or by the potential expense of attending.

Average concert ticket prices in 2023 rose to $130, up from $90 in 2018 and $111 in 2022. Service fees can add as much as 32 percent to the face value of a ticket. Of course, VIP ticket packages cost much more (up to $600 per person, plus fees, for blink-182’s June 30 Petco Park show, and up to $870, plus fees, for Santana’s Aug. 30 concert at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre).

Another factor is “dynamic pricing” — based on real-time customer demand when tickets go on sale — which can see prices double or triple between the few minutes it takes to select a ticket online and to complete the purchase.

On Thursday, the Justice Department sued Live Nation Entertainment, which owns Ticketmaster. The suit seeks a judicial ruling to break up the company, which the DOJ alleges has illegally maintained a monopoly in the live entertainment industry — an industry long dominated by Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

Soaring prices inspired the Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act, which on May 15 was passed 388-24 by the House of Representatives. It would require event ticket-sellers to disclose the total cost of tickets upfront to consumers, including such so-called “hidden fees” as service charges.

“After years of bipartisan work, we will now be able to enhance the customer experience of buying event tickets online. We look forward to continuing to work together to urge quick Senate passage so that we can send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law,” reads a joint statement from Republicans and Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the Innovation, Data & Commerce Subcommittee.

With or without such a welcome law, the volume of live-music events here and across the nation appears set to grow ever larger.

To help you choose, these are our picks for some of the likely highlights in this summer’s San Diego concert season. Upcoming shows at the San Diego County Fair and The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park will be previewed in upcoming issues of the Union-Tribune’s Friday Night & Day section.

For the sake of expediency, our 42 choices do not include performances that are already sold out. So, take a bow, Bonnie Raitt, Foo Fighters, Vampire Weekend, Chris Thile, Natalie Merchant, Kamasi Washington, Fuerza Regida, The Decemberists, Hozier, Jessica Pratt, Cowboy Junkies, Buddha Trizie, Imagine Dragons, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, et al.

Mon Laferte

The best-selling Chilean artist of the 21st century, Mon Laferte is a devoted social activist and a borders-leaping musician. Her work over the years has ranged from pop, folk-rock, trip-hop, electronica and reggaeton to cumbia, ranchera, mariachi, bolero and banda. “Mon Laferte, Te Amo” — a documentary of her 2021-22 world tour — will debut on Netflix in August. As a follow-up to her March 10 concert in Tijuana, Laferte performs an outdoor show tonight in the shadow of San Diego’s Petco Park. 7 p.m. today. Gallagher Square at Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., downtown. $66-$166. ticketmaster.com

North Park Music Fest

Back for its third year, this two-day, three outdoor-stage festival will showcase more than 20 bands and solo artists on Friday and Saturday. The Friday lineup is headlined by Particle Kid (the periodic stage name of Willie Nelson’s son, Micah) and 2017 Grammy-winner Fantastic Negrito (born: Xavier Dphrepaulezz), who at times suggests the offspring of Prince, Howlin’ Wolf and D’Angelo rolled into one. Saturday’s bill will be topped by a reunion by the popular San Diego band Louis XIV and a solo acoustic set by Ty Segall. 4 to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday . North Park Mini Park, 3812 29th St., North Park. $50 per day, $60 for two days. northparkmusicfest.org

Also recommended

Friday: Jordan Davis, Gallagher Square at Petco Park

Friday: Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, The Music Box

Tedeschi Trucks Band, with Little Feat

Co-led by singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi and her husband, former Allman Brothers six-string dynamo Derek Trucks, the Tedeschi Trucks Band audaciously mines a rich vein of blues, rock, soul, funk, country and other homegrown American styles.

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Their similarly rootsy opening act, the pioneering Little Feat, was formed in 1969 before either Tedeschi or Trucks were born. Little Feat this month released its first new album in 12 years, “Sam’s Place,” named after Sam Clayton, the group’s Fallbrook-based percussionist and singer. 7 p.m. June 8. Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego State University. $39.50-$99. ticketmaster.com

Alison Brown

Grammy Award-winning banjo master, composer and band leader Alison Brown grew up in La Jolla, just a few miles from the site of her June 12 concert at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. Her June homecoming show is a benefit for the Rotary Club of La Jolla, whose president is Brown’s mother, Barbara.

Alison Brown, banjo star and MBA-holder, is on tour to promote her new album featuring Steve Martin, Kronos Quartet

The Grammy Award-winning La Jolla High School alum will perform June 22 at UC San Diego’s downtown Park & Market. She is featured in the new film documentary, ‘Recordially Yours, Lou Curtiss,’ which premieres June 23 at Digital Gym

June 11, 2023

The first 100 ticket buyers can attend a pre-show Q&A, hosted by Jamie Deering, the CEO of Lemon Grove’s Deering Banjos. Brown and her bluegrass-to-jazz band’s concert will include her song,” Banjo Homecoming Rag,” which will be accompanied by projections of vintage images of San Diego. 7 p.m. June 12. Baker-Baum Concert Hall, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $100-$250. theconrad.org/events/23-24-rotary-club

Soft Machine

Is this a record? Since making its San Diego debut at Balboa Stadium in 1968, the pioneering English psychedelic jazz-rock band Soft Machine has performed here, well, never.

Now led by guitar wizard John Etheridge — who replaced former Vista guitarist Allan Holdsworth in Soft Machine in 1975 — the group’s latest iteration is on tour to promote its absorbing 2023 album, “Other Doors.” The 13-track collection includes a fresh take on the moody “Joy of a Toy,” a standout track from Soft Machine’s self-titled 1968 debut album. With former Stephane Grappelli guitarist Etheridge at the fore, Soft Machine’s return here — after 56 years — seems as improbable as it is welcome. 8 p.m. June 15. TERI Campus of Life, 555 Deer Springs Road, San Marcos. $25-$45. (858) 356-4546, tericommongroundscafe.com

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band

One of the most accomplished and versatile musicians anywhere, Brian Blade has been the drummer of choice for Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones and for such jazz giants as Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Charles Lloyd and Joshua Redman. His Fellowship Band, which he has led since 1998, has created a singular blend of jazz, gospel, country, folk-rock, soul and more.

There is a spiritual undercurrent to Blade’s music and an emotional intensity in even its softest moments. That his Fellowship Band’s long-overdue area debut includes not one, but two concerts on Juneteenth seems like a doubly fortuitous way to kick off the Athenaeum’s 2024 summer jazz concert series. 6 and 8:30 p.m., June 19. Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room, Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. $40 and $45. (858) 454-5872, ljathenaeum.org

Gregory Porter at the 6th annual San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival

At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Gregory Porter is a towering presence on and off stage. The Bakersfield native earned a full scholarship to San Diego State University as a football player. A 1990 pre-season practice injury, which ended his college gridiron days, led him to focus on singing here at jazz clubs and a leading role in San Diego Repertory Theatre’s 1998 production of “It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues.”

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Aug. 30, 2020

One of the finest jazz, soul and blues singers of his generation, Porter performs with fire, finesse and impeccable taste. He makes every word count without ever showing off. His combination of vocal passion and sophistication places him heads and shoulders above the other performers at this year’s San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, where he’ll co-headline on June 23. 3:30 p.m. June 22 and June 23. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego. $70-$260. sandiegosmoothjazzfestival.com

Java Joe’s Reunion Show

Jewel and Jason Mraz are just two of the many then-unknown young troubadours who launched their careers performing at Java Joe’s, a cafe that occupied nine different San Diego locations between 1991 and 2018. The high regard in which its founder, Java Joe Flammini, is held by so many area musicians is demonstrated by the talent-packed lineup that will celebrate his legacy at San Diego Folk Heritage’s second annual Java Joe’s Reunion Show.

Java Joe’s Reunion Show to celebrate storied San Diego venue where Jewel and Jason Mraz got their starts

Lisa Sanders, Gregory Page, Berkley Hart and Tim Flannery will perform at the Sunday concert, which is being presented by San Diego Folk Heritage

Jan. 4, 2023

The concert will includes five duos — Gregory Page and Jack Tempchin, Page and Frank Lee Drennen, Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart, Lisa Sanders and Brown Sugar, and Bug Guts, which teams Scott Ireland and his wife, Rosebud — along with solo performances by Carlos Olmeda, Lindsay White, Shawn Rohlf, John Katchur, former San Diego Padres’ infielder Tim Flannery. Flammini will be in attendance for the show, which will be hosted by veteran musical satirist Jose Sinatra. 4 p.m. June 30. San Diego Oasis, 17170 Bernardo Center Drive, Rancho Bernardo. $25-$30. (858) 613-0858, sdfolkheritage.org

blink-182, Pierce The Veil

Triple play! After performing two rapturously received concerts here last year at Pechanga Arena, the Poway-bred pop-punk band blink-182’s reunion tour with guitarist, vocalist and group co-founder Tom DeLonge is headed to Petco Park.

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Expect some snarky onstage comments about the San Diego Padres, along with such blink favorites as “Rock Show,” “What’s My Age Again?” and “Stay Together for the Kids.” The lineup also includes the San Diego band Pierce the Veil, making this a double homecoming. 7 p.m. June 30. Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., downtown. $80-$220; VIP packages are $450-$600. ticketmaster.com

Also recommended:

June 1: A Tribute to The Zeros, Casbah

June 6: The Coronas, Casbah

June 8: Cafe Tacuba, Caifanes, North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

June 11: Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Soma Live

June 11/12: Rachel Z, Omar Hakim & Jonathan Toscano

June 12: Parliament-Funkadelic, featuring George Clinton, with Blu Eye Extinction, Belmont Park Beach House

June 12: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Observatory North Park

June 17: Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Belly Up

The Aristocrats

Dazzling musicianship, pinpoint dynamic control and quirky humor have long been the hallmarks of The Aristocrats, whose concerts often elicit both smiles and awe. Featuring English guitarist Guthrie Govan, American bassist Bryan Beller and German drum wiz Marco Minnemann, this rock-and-way-beyond power trio achieves musical velocity and nuance in equal measure.

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Their latest release, “Duck,” is a concept album about “a web-footed Antarctic Island native fleeing a penguin policeman all the way to New York City.” The fact that The Aristocrats are an all-instrumental band makes this concept — possibly inspired in part by Frank Zappa’s “Penguin in Bondage” — all the more intriguing. 7 p.m. July 11. Ramona Mainstage, 626 Main Street, Ramona. $28. (760) 789-7008, ramonamainstage.com

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives

A five-time Grammy Award-winner and a 2022 Tennessee Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, Marty Stuart was all of 14 when he became the mandolinist in bluegrass legend Lester Flatt’s band in 1972. He further burnished his reputation as the guitarist in Johnny Cash’s band — San Diego’s Jim Soldi replaced him five years later — and through his subsequent work with violinist Vassar Clements and acoustic guitarist Doc Watson.

Stuart launched his solo career in the mid-1980s. For fans of honky-tonk, gospel and country-rock, he and his aptly named band, The Fabulous Superlatives, are as good as they come. 8 p.m. July 12. Sycuan Live & Up Close Theater, Sycuan Casino Resort, 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon. $69-$79. (619) 445-6002, sycuan.com

Lake Street Dive, with Celisse

It’s been 12 years since the Boston-bred Lake Street Dive made its San Diego debut at Queen Bee’s, and the band has lost one member and added two more in the interim.

But its blend of vintage pop and rock, classic Motown soul, country, jazz and more remains as inviting as ever. Ditto the group’s polished ensemble work and captivating vocal harmonies, which are fueled by lead singer Rachael Price and bassist/singer Bridget Kearney. Expect to hear some new songs from Lake Street Dive’s new album, “Good Together,” which will be released June 21. 8 p.m. July 26. Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego. $40.50-$70.50; VIP packages are $211. ticketmaster.com

Charles McPherson 85th birthday celebration

A San Diego resident since the 1970s, Charles McPherson has been one of the jazz world’s most highly regarded alto saxophonists for more than 50 years, first as a member of bass giant Charles Mingus’ band, then as a solo artist and band leader in his own right. Bebop remains his greatest musical passion, but McPherson isn’t resting on his laurels.

Fall arts 2019 | Music: Jazz legend Charles McPherson eager to keep growing

The sax great, who turned 80 in July, is busier than ever with tours, new albums and more

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His arresting new album, “Reverence,” was recorded live in New York last year and finds McPherson injecting every note he plays with deep feeling and an unmistakable degree of conviction. It comes as no surprise that his two May and two June concerts at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Art Center sold out well in advance.

Fortunately, he has two more performances coming up here at Lou Lou’s Jungle Room, just three days after he turns 85 — and nine days after his birthday concert at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. July 27. Lou Lou’s Jungle Room at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. $75. loulous.turtabletickets.com

Outlaw Music Festival, with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp

Willie Nelson is 91. Bob Dylan turned 83 on Friday. They are now on the road with John Mellencamp, 72, for the first concert tour the three founders of the annual Farm Aid benefit shows have done together since 2009. The opportunity to see either Nelson or Dylan in the autumn of their years is a welcome one.

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The American music-master and his band warmed up a damp, cool evening at The Shell. David Sanger, the drummer in opening act Asleep At The Wheel, took the ferry back to his family’s home in Coronado after the show.

April 23, 2024

The opportunity to see these two American music icons share a stage with their respective bands, and join voices for a song or two, seems just about priceless. 5 p.m. July 29. North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista. $53.45-$167.50; platinum and VIP prices range from $223.20 to $523.20. livenation.com

July 6: Curtis Taylor Quintet, Museum of Making Music

July 11: Dark Star Orchestra, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

July 11: The Church, Afghan Whigs, Observatory North Park

July 12: Clive Carroll, Dizzy’s

July 14: Alejandro Escovedo, Belly Up

July 16-20: Joshua White, The Jazz Lounge

July 29: Sara Gazarek, The Jazz Lounge

Dweezil Zappa ‘The Rox (Postroph) y Tour’

The eldest son of the late music legend (and former La Mesa resident) Frank Zappa, ace guitarist and band leader Dweezil Zappa has devoted himself to performing his father’s wildly adventurous music on concert stages around the world.

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For his first tour with his band since March 2020, Dweezil will focus on music from two of Frank Zappa’s most popular albums — both released in 1974 — the double-live disc “Roxy & Elsewhere” and the studio outing “Apostrophe (‘).”

The set list is likely to include “Penguin in Bondage” and “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow,” an edited version of which gave Frank Zappa his first Billboard Top 100 hit. Dweezil’s new band includes 27-year-old guitar virtuoso Zach Tabori and young keyboardist Bobby Victor. 8 p.m., Aug. 2. The Magnolia, 210 East Main St., El Cajon. $45-$97. VIP and platinum packages are priced from $185.85 to $329.20. (619) 651-2004, livenation.com

Carlos Santana and TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe are just a few of the admirers and collaborators of Mail’s Tinariwen, the guitar-driven desert blues band from Mail that in 2012 won the Grammy Award for Best World Music.

The group’s founding members are Berber nomads who met more than 40 years ago at a refugee camp in Algeria. After waging a guerrilla war against the Malian government, which had taken possession of their tribal territories, they turned to music as a full-time vehicle for their revolutionary zeal and quest for peace. In concert, Tinariwen crafts music that is foreign and familiar, hypnotic and cathartic. 8 p.m. Aug. 11. The Music Box, 1337 India St., downtown. $37-$77. ticketweb.com

Lainey Wilson

A standout performer at the 2022 edition of San Diego’s Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival, Lainey Wilson has seen her star rise ever higher since then. On May 16, she won Entertainer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year honors at the annual Academy of Country Music Awards — a year after earning five trophies at the 2023 edition of the ACMs. In February she won her first Grammy for “Bell Bottom Country,” which was voted Best Country Album.

A Louisiana native, Wilson is a potent live performer and an accomplished songwriter who has co-written hits for Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde and others. She is likely the only country artist whose concerts have included spirited covers of Jean Knight’s “Mr Big Stuff” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” 7 p.m. Aug. 23: North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista. $43 to $327. VIP packages are $360. livenation.com

Tower of Power

Tower of Power is on a roll. Two years after teaming up with the San Diego Symphony for the first orchestral concert in its six-decade history, the Oakland-bred funk and soul band is returning with what — depending on whose counting — is either the 50th or 51st lineup of its career.

Tower of Power set to become first funk/soul band to play with San Diego Symphony: ‘We’re really excited!’

The brassy Oakland band, now in its 53rd year, performs Thursday at The Shell on a double-bill with the jazzy jam band Lettuce

July 1, 2022

Now on board is new drummer Pete Antunes and new singer Jordan John, who was all of 16 when he played a jam session with Prince. Antunes has especially big shoes to fill. He replaces Tower of Power co-founder David Garibaldi, whose propulsive funk chops and jazzy syncopations set a very high bar. 7:30 Aug. 30. Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. $70. ticketmaster.com

Santana, with Counting Crows

Former Tijuana guitar-slinger Carlos Santana will turn 77 in July, but he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The pioneering Latin-rock band he leads — featuring his wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, on drums — continues to tour regularly. And its leader has released new recordings over the past year with Run DMC’s Darryl McDaniels, producer and drum great Narada Michael Walden, as well as with Santana’s son and nephew, Salvador and Jose Santana.

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The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Kennedy Center Honors Award hopes to raise $7 billion to feed and educate poor children in his native Mexico and other countries.

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For good measure, at his most recent residency at Las Vegas’ House of Blues this month, the mustachioed guitarist has been mixing his classic songs with some choice cover versions, including Michael Jackson’s “Whatever Happens,” The Voices Of East Harlem’s “Right On, Be Free” and The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues.” 7 p.m. Aug. 30. North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista. $67.20-$354. VIP packages are priced from $374 to $870. livenation.com

Aug. 6: Pokey LaFarge, Belly Up

Aug. 8: Junior Brown, Ramona Mainstage

Aug. 9-11: Baja Beach Fest, Rosarito Beach

Aug. 14: Summer Dean, Casbah

Aug. 17: Talib Kweli, The Music Box

Aug. 23: Adama Bilorou, Dizzy’s

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