When Kenny Chesney wrapped his 2022 Here And Now tour – playing to over 1.3 million people and breaking personal records in many of the 21 NFL stadiums he played – the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar knew he wanted to create a touring experience to make 2023 every bit as special. He made the decision to dial in on those cities that were a major part of establishing what has become the soundtrack of coming of age in the 21st Century, naming the tour I Go Back and taking his music to the fans beyond the stadium markets.
The tour will make a stop in Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30PM, with special guest Kelsea Ballerini. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 2 at 10AM at VanAndelArena.com.
I Go Back 2023 is Presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, November 23 at 10AM through Thursday, December 1 at 10PM.
“I can still hear No Shoes Nation singing those songs after being apart for four whole summers,” Chesney, who just received 28 RIAA gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications, says. “It’s a sound that reminds me how much music really means to people. It’s not about the numbers, but the joy you see on people’s faces – and the more I thought about it, the more I thought about taking the music to the people who were there when this thing was taking off.”
Joining the only country artist who’s made Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Past 25 Years for the last 14 years for this highly anticipated tour is three-time GRAMMY nominee Kelsea Ballerini. A songwriting force, she launched her singular career with three consecutive No. 1s and a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination and has not looked back. Having enlisted Kenny for their No. 1 “half of my hometown,” which won the 2021 Country Music Association Vocal Event and Video of the Year Award and was nominated for the 2022 CMA Single of the Year, she, too, embodies that feeling of loving where you’re from, but knowing your heart has bigger dreams.
“Music has taken me so many incredible places,” Ballerini says. “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.”
Hailed as “The King of the Road” by the Wall Street Journal and “The People’s Superstar” by the Los Angeles Times, Chesney’s music distills living beyond the media centers – recognizing the dignity, richness and fun of an authentic American life. As Variety offered of his immediacy and appeal: “classic-rock-infused country with his in-the-moment philosophy.”
“I Go Back 2023 is going to be so awesome,” Chesney raves. “To be able to take this music to where it comes from? To have Kelsea Ballerini out there with me, maybe even singing ‘half of my hometown’? It’s going to be a tour unlike any other – and I can’t wait.”
About ASM Global
Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall are managed by ASM Global. ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management—delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention, and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. asmglobal.com.
Media Contacts for Kenny Chesney:
Ebie McFarland
Essential Broadcast Media
(615) 327-3259
ebie@ebmediapr.com
Fount Lynch
Warner Music Nashville
fount.lynch@wmg.com
Media Contacts for Kelsea Ballerini:
Carleen Donovan
The Oriel
carleen@theoriel.co
Dawn Delvo
Blackriver Entertainment
ddelvo@blackriverent.com
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