Chesney, Rhett pack ’em in at Miller Park concert
Well, it didn’t snow. As we saw firsthand earlier this month, Wisconsin can still get the white stuff well into April.
But the low high of 46 degrees Saturday forced Miller Park’s roof to stay shut for the Milwaukee stop of Kenny Chesney’s “Trip Around the Sun” tour.
No matter. Summer, really, is a state of mind, and no one is better at conveying that mood than the easygoing, beaches- and beer-worshiping Chesney.
He came through with a feel-good, crowd-pleasing two-hour set — and a surprise guest. And the faithful followers of the country superstar’s “No Shoes Nation” lifestyle were tailgating in the parking lots hours before the first act hit the stage.
Overall, however, this outing was a bit weaker than past Chesney stadium shows. Chesney’s Miller Park and Lambeau Field openers have included heavy-hitters like Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert, who provided a nice contrast to Chesney’s Jimmy Buffett-in-a-cowboy-hat approach.
With fellow smooth country-pop rockers Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and Brandon Lay on Saturday’s bill, Chesney’s third Miller Park show since 2013 was basically four-and-a-half hours of musical light beer.
Not that you can’t get a little buzzed from light beer.
Thanks to the power of double lead guitarists Kenny Greenberg and Clayton Feibusch, Chesney and company came out pretty strong with a biting, blustery rock rendition of “Beer in Mexico.”
Chesney could barely keep still after that, sprinting the catwalk, leaping in the air and diving down to his knees with the onstage restlessness of Mick Jagger. Six songs in, with the crowd swaying along to take-’er-easy anthem “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,” he was drenched in sweat.
There wasn’t much differentiation Saturday from past Chesney concerts, right down to the mass autograph session during finale “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” which has, by now, become the cue for a mass exodus to beat the traffic. Based on the jovial, nearcapacity crowd, that seems to be the way they like it.
But there were a few tweaks, including a bit of social commentary.
The new single “Get Along,” a response to our heavily divisive times, surprisingly received as boisterous and widespread of a crowd singalong as longtime set favorite “I Go Back” immediately prior.
And “Noise,” from latest studio album “Cosmic Hallelujah,” was a condemnation of our stressed-out, overwhelmed society, where “politicians talk … but there really ain’t no conversation,” and we’re “trapped in our phones and we can’t make it stop.”
In lieu of customary video of exotic sandy locales, the accompanying footage depicted people screaming, riots, broken TVs — and, inexplicably for a second, a dolphin spinning a hula hoop on its nose.
It was way off brand, but between Chesney’s conviction and the song’s U2-esque sweep, the show’s momentum didn’t stall.
The biggest surprise of the night was a guest turn by David Lee Murphy, who strolled on stage late in the set with a gift for Chesney — an “I Closed Wolski’s” shirt.
Together, they sang last year’s collaborative track “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” plus older Murphy tunes “Dust on the Bottle” and “Party Crowd,” and the songs’ traditional country feel provided a welcome palate-cleanser. The show also got a boost when Old Dominion joined Chesney to perform “Save It for a Rainy Day,” and Rhett, in a Brewers jersey, accompanied Chesney for a warm cover of David Allan Coe’s “When the Sun Goes Down.”
An emotional evolution from the bro-country archetype, Rhett had the difficult task of conveying sensitivity in a stadium during his opening set Saturday.
For the most part he succeeded, thanks to heartbreakers like “Marry Me” that instantly elicited a swell of smitten, singing voices. His megahit “Die a Happy Man,” co-written by Greenfield native Joe London, intensified when the band put down their instruments and let Rhett finish the song alone on acoustic guitar.
But Rhett offered more than swooning and sniffles during his 65-minute set. He revealed that Milwaukee was the first city he played his first platinum single “It Goes Like This” seven years ago, and the performance received a hero’s welcome.
“Make Me Wanna” slipped into a crisp cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit and Tie,” and Rhett got behind the drum kit for the end of “Unforgettable.” And Rhett ended “Vacation” with a swinging soul revue and Trent Houston blaring on saxophone.