Sun Goes Down Tour - Opening Night

 

It was the first night of the tour. The summer concert season was beginning. The crowd was amped and the bands were equally as excited. 

So here are some observations of the event.

The doors to the stadium opened at 4 PM and the first act, Uncle Kracker, was scheduled to be on at 5 PM. Amazingly, Uncle Kracker was onstage right at 5 PM and the evening began under a bright blue sky and hot sun with temperatures in the high 80s. 

The stadium was mostly empty when the show began. People continued arriving right up until Kenny Chesney took the stage at 9 PM.

Uncle Kracker

Uncle Kracker  

Great performance. Lot's of energy and a lot of fun. He sand songs we knew and could sing along with. He was in a tough spot, being the first act of the evening with a mostly empty stadium, but he handled it very well. I was glad he got to return with Kenny later in the show for a couple songs.

 

  

Uncle Kracker Grade: A

 

Megan Moroney

Megan Moroney

Megan Moroney is a solid musician and sings enjoyable songs accompanied by an excellent band. I was disappointed that she came across as a Taylor Swift wannabe. The way she dressed and sang suggested she was imitating Taylor's style to expand her audience.

 

She showed a great stage presence during her performance. I enjoyed her and her band, I especially loved their tee-shirts which read EMO Cowgirl. I think she would have done better to stick with that identity rather than emulate the Taylor Swift look.

Megan Moroney Grade: B

Zack Brown Band

Zac Brown Band

What is not to love about the Zac Brown Band? They put on a great show and are headliners in their own right. Their music was superbly performed and the tribute to Jimmy Buffet, Pirates and Parrots, was well done.

I enjoyed their well-known songs and was able to really sing along as the crowd grew and sunset approached. They performed a full show and I was left fully appreciating the band and their songs as well as their versatility. I was most impressed with the cover of Charlie Daniels's The Devil Went Down to Georgia. I never would have believed anyone could play it faster or as good as the original, but I was wrong. I was mesmerized by the fiddle and the overall execution of the song.

The band also covered U2s, With or Without You, which was a lot of fun to sing with them.

Zac Brown Band Grade: A 

Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney

What to say. Kenny was fantastic! The energy and the song selection was perfect for the evening. I had thought we would hear more songs from the new Born album, but I think there was just one: Take Her Home. 

I was amazed at his energy and command of the stage. This is the third time I have been to a Kenny Chesney concert and they each seem to be better. His music has evolved, but the real crowd pleasers are all fast moving songs that speak to the No Shoes Nation mentality. 

Kenny's band was fabulous and each member had a showcase moment. 

The set began about 9 PM and continued until almost 11 PM--without a stop. The two songs with Uncle Kracker were great and well done. It was fun being part of and watching the crowd respond to Kenny and his music. The Come Monday tribute to Jimmy Buffett was excellent.

Being the first show of the series, there were some small miscues, especially the handoff between the Kenny and the stage hand with the guitars. Late in the show Kenny displayed some evidence of tired voice--but it was a long day for all of us. 

One other note--the encore could have included some of the songs not in the program, like Boys of Fall and Anything but Mine. I'm not sure if the encore was truncated by a stadium imposed hard stop at 11 PM.

The setlist can be found here. 

Kenny Chesney Grade: A

Raymond James Stadium

Restroom Facilities for Floor Seating
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
April 20, 2024

I wish I had positive comments for Raymond James Stadium, but sadly the venue leaves a lot to be desired, especially given the cost of the tickets.

 
Arrival was smooth as I had secured parking in advance. 

Parking was the easiest part of the evening. We were seated on the floor and that meant we got the worst in terms of food and restroom facilities. Using the restroom, the port-a-potty area, meant fighting the crowd streaming in or trying to get food to get back outside the stadium. It was not pleasant. The food area was too small and located in the same hallway as the entrance and the passage to the relief area. That meant it was always too crowded. Drinks were readily available, however. During the break between Zac Brown Band and Kenny Chesney there was not enough time to use the restrooms due to the apparent under planning by the stadium staff.

But the tragedy of the evening was departing the parking, for which we paid $50 plus tax. It took 45 minutes to get out of the lot because no one was directing traffic. Then, once out of the lot we were forced to drive away from our desired destination for miles before being able to hop onto an interstate and drive back through the stadium departing traffic to get to our hotel. In the end, the 3 mile journey back to the hotel turned into a 10 mile drive.

Raymond James Stadium Grade: D-

I have attached a 3 minute video of portions of the evening just to give a sense at how great was the evening we enjoyed.

Thanks Kenny!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#kennychesney #sungoesdowntour #openingnight