Kenny Chesney Concert Review
St Louis

The following Kenny Chesney Concert Review St Louis article was re-printed with permission.


By Amanda St. Amand
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/02/2006
Kenny Chesney

If you can judge the success of a show by the sweat of the performer, Kenny Chesney brought down the house when he brought “The Road and the Radio” tour to the Savvis Center on Friday night.

Chesney, fresh off four Country Music Association nominations, did not disappoint a sold-out crowd with his high-energy 20-song set that could almost even be heard over the screams of the approving females in the crowd. If every concert on this year’s tour -- which ends Sunday -- is like the St. Louis stop, he should be a shoo-in for the entertainer of the year award. He ran, jumped, flexed and raced around the stage, soaking his sleeveless blue T-shirt by the fifth song.

The Tennessee singer opened from the back of the floor with his most recent No. 1, “Summertime” and quickly segued into a long string of hits like “Big Star,” “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem,” and “Young.” His voice sounded strained, likely from the long tour, but the fans are there more for the show than the singing. He also introduced his most recent single, “You Save Me” and called it his favorite one-on-one love song. (He skipped “You Had Me From Hello,” his song linked to ex-wife Renee Zellwegger.)

Most of the fans loved it when Chesney brought out Uncle Kracker to join him for “When the Sun Goes Down,” and opening act Carrie Underwood joined him for part of “Drift Away.”

Chesney closed the show with “Where You’d Be Today” which included a sweet but by now cliched video tribute to favorites like Dale Earnhardt, although seeing a photo of the once-unsculpted Chesney with the race driver gave the fans a kick. He came back for a one-song encore on “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,“ and brought Dierks Bentley out to sing with him.

Bentley, himself nominated for the CMA’s male vocalist of the year, went all out on his 10-song set as the featured performer. Bentley matched Chesney’s stage presence with a strong performance of his own as he raced around the stage belting out “Lotta Leavin’ Left to Do,” “Settle for a Slowdown,” and his new single “Every Mile a Memory.”

One of Bentley’s strongest songs was one he penned in honor of his father, a World War II veteran, called “My Last Name.” He also sent his female fans into a screaming tizzy with the sexy ballad “Come a Little Closer,” before he closed with his first giant hit, “What Was I Thinking.”

Carrie Underwood of American Idol fame, also up for four CMA awards, gave a slick six-song set. She’s more polished on stage than many singers with her relative lack of experience, and we can thank the TV show for that.

One disturbing note: The morning deejay from WIL, who goes by Cornbread, stripped off his T-shirt on stage. Even his fans (and I’m not one of them) agreed his oversized stomach was a sight they could live without.

Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, copyright (2006).