Packed Chesney & McGraw Concert A Smash, But Not Without Incident
The "Brothers of the Sun" Tour continued this past Saturday in Anaheim, CA. Both Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney provided top notch performances. The stadium was packed with 40,000 fans that filled it up to the brim. Everyone was pumped up to experience almost 7 hours of entertainment.
The concert opened up with Jake Owen singing his current hit single: "The One That Got Away," which was not only well received, but presented the first sing-along opportunity for the night. To show off his versatility, Owen incorporated Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" and Alabama's "Dixieland Delight" which was completely unexpected and nudged the crowd into a "feel good" sway.
Grace Potter and her band "The Nocturnals" continued the opening act with a stellar performance that missed the audience just slightly. It was clear that the die-hard Country fans had come to see their "boys" tonight. First up, Tim McGraw, who put an end to the cooling phase. His all white outfit and the energy he brought to the stage really stirred up the crowd and caused a burst of enthusiasm. Before long everyone was cheering and bellowing out his greatest hits. McGraw was in the "can't-miss" zone with the audience, the highlights of his performance were "Live Like You Were Dying" and his new hit "Truck Yeah."
When Kenny stepped on the stage it was as if the audience had just doubled in size and intesity. He was unmistakably the award winning entertainer everybody had come to see. It's only fair to say that both performers gave their fans what they came for. Kenny was really less concerned about selling his album "Welcome To The Fishbowl" and spent all his time and energy delivering a fantastic show. There were of course a few surprises that he had built in to his repertoire.
Ashton Kutcher and Kenny Chesney backstage at 2012 ACM Awards (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM)
Ashton Kutcher, accessorized in plaid button down shirt and cowboy hat, as if he had just stepped off the set of a Jason Aldean video, made his cameo during Kenny's song "Back Where I Come From." It's worth noting that Ashton did hold a can of Budweiser to prove his "Country" authenticity. Of course, Ashton’s appearance at the concert was not without incident, as he got into a slight altercation with the paparazzi when he flung water on them. Maybe they just needed cooling off in the high southern California heat. We recall the backlash Kutcher received regarding his attire, from Justin Moore, Miranda Lambert and others following the 2012 ACM Awards. Ashton does maintain that he is a big Country music fan.
In summary, Kenny made it obvious that he wasn't trying to influence anyone's political views, he much rather invited everyone to escape into his world for a couple of hours. If you haven't experienced it yet, "The Brothers of the Sun" tour is a must see!
-Michael Trobisch (CBS/KFROG 95.1)
