ABC/Image Group LAKenny Chesney kicked off his Spread the Love Tour Saturday night, with the first concert ever at Auburn, Alabama’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“Sometimes you can feel the energy long before you hit the stage,” the headliner says. “It’s gathering, and you can sense it. This was one of those shows, one of those times. It was so intense, it was so there, this is the reason we do this — to play music and feel all that energy coming at us.”
Old Dominion started things off, warming up the audience for Sam Hunt, who didn’t hesitate to dive into the crowd. By the time a black miniskirt-clad Miranda Lambert took the stage, fans were primed to hear her version of Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over”, as well as her own hits like “Gunpowder and Lead.”
Highlights of Kenny’s two-dozen-song set included a piano-fueled take on “My Home’s in Alabama,” as well as crowd-driven choruses of favorites “Anything But Mine” and “American Kids.” Miranda returned to sing Grace Potter’s part on “You and Tequila,” while Sam and Old Dominion came back to contribute to the songs they helped write, “Come Over” and “Save It for a Rainy Day,” respectively.
“Some years you just know from night one, it’s going to be special…” Kenny reflected. “To be able to hear the kind of music and the crowd I did all afternoon, it really gets me fired up to get on that stage and make some music. We started back in February with everything pointed at tonight. From the first second we heard that crowd, all the work was beyond worth it! Miranda, Sam, Old Dominion and every single person totally rocked our world. This is what memories are made of.”
Spread the Love continues with its next stop May 5 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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