Nashville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) It's an enormous undertaking to put on a
Kenny Chesney concert, but "the biggest ticket-seller in country music and one of the top touring artists in the world" (Billboard) has once again assembled one of the world's most massive traveling road shows. The 2011 Corona Presents Kenny Chesney's 'Goin' Coastal' Tour has already surpassed the one million ticket mark and still has a number of monumental shows remaining.
Here's what it takes to make 'Goin' Coastal' a reality:
- More than 110 people are on tour with Chesney, including crew, drivers, caterers, sound and lighting technicians, and musicians. For stadium shows, the number shoots up to 140.
- 23 trucks and 10 buses make up Chesney's fleet. While the trucks barrel on to the next stop, buses will return home between shows along the band and crew, logging approximately 60,000 miles each tour.
- The weight of the 'Goin' Coastal' stage set-up comes out to approximately 80,000 pounds.
- Set-up for the tour is a nearly eight-hour process, with work starting at 8 a.m., the stage rolled out at 1 p.m., and soundcheck taking place around 3 p.m.
- The stage is framed by "periaktoi" columns, which are three-sided columns influenced by ancient Greek theatre. One side features video tiles, the second features lighting and strobes, and the third is all mirrors.
'Goin' Coastal' has been praised not only for its "wealth of dazzling video elements and opportunities for Chesney to interact closely with the audience" (Billboard), but also for Chesney's non-stop energy and mix of his 23 #1 hits on display each night. Of a recent 'Goin' Coastal' show, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said, "Kenny Chesney brought every ounce of on-stage energy and charisma fans are accustomed to seeing."
Having completed a trio of historic shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Chesney has taken 'Goin' Coastal' to Canada and will also perform at stadiums in Kansas City, MO; Detroit, MI; East Rutherford, NJ; and Boston, MA. A recent showstopper has been current hit "You and Tequila," a duet with Grace Potter that appeared on 2010's 'Hemingway's Whiskey' (BNA).
