“We Got Treated Terribly”: Kenny Chesney on How a Bad Experience Opening for Another Artist Influenced His Tour Approach

Over the years, Kenny Chesney has become a touchstone for positivity and kindness within the country music landscape, something that radiates through his extensive catalogue of feel-good anthems, but also through his unique approach to touring.

During a new conversation with Kelleigh Bannen for Apple Music, as well as discussing his latest album, Silver Sands Marina, Chesney explains how his touring outlook stemmed from being mistreated while opening for an artist early in his career.

Chesney recalls the unfortunate experience, “There was a moment where I was the opening act for a lot of people. And I’m not going to name names, but we got treated terribly. And I said, if I ever get to a point where... And treated terribly by someone that wasn’t necessarily a big act. It was just their ego and they had to have it that way. But I’m so thankful for that because that showed me how not to do it”.

Thankfully, Chesney did get the chance to headline stadiums and cultivate his own touring environment - one that is much healthier and more good-natured than the one he faced.

With the ‘Carry On’ hitmaker preparing to embark on a huge Original Vibe Room Stadium Tour in 2027 with Eric Church, Chesney explains to Bannen how he will once again be making a concerted effort to ensure everyone in the crew feels comfortable.

Chesney opens up about how this backstage atmosphere inspired the name of the tour, “When I first started headlining and we realized that our life was changing some and that we were playing some of the places that our heroes played, our road family wanted to create a room where we could just build community, our community out there. And that’s what we did. We didn’t name it the first year. That was 2001. In 2002 we named it. My friend Mark Tamburino named it the Vibe Room”.

He goes on, “It was just a place for us to get together before a show, raise a toast and to just take a moment to realize how blessed we are and how grateful we are to do what we do. And that turned into a different thing over the years. It turned into that moment before the show and it was us, it was our families, it was our road family, it was our partners at radio and every city that we went to and everybody felt included. And so it just made the whole experience of the show a lot better”.

The Knoxville native shares how the Vibe Room mentality feels, in many ways, like a reflection of the spirit of No Shoes Nation, “It’s a place honestly that just built community with us out there on the road. And I don’t know, I’ve been to a lot of shows that weren’t mine over the years where you felt really scared to walk down the hallway or you have these security people with microphones in their ears. I hate that because it just sets a precedent. We don’t have those. We have the Vibe Room”.

Chesney warmly concludes, “You as an artist are a product of the people around you. When you do what I do or you’re a high functioning person and very mentally busy, you can never have enough good people around you ever. And I’m very thankful that I have all those kind of people around me on the road because I mean, yes, it’s my tour, it’s my name on it, but they help create the atmosphere and the environment. And that’s been turned into a really beautiful thing over the years”.

With blockbuster shows on the books in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, Georgia Massachusetts and more, and with Church, Sheryl Crow, Greylan James and Old Dominion joining him for the ride, it's safe to say the anticipation is through-the-roof ahead of Chesney's 2027 Original Vibe Room Tour next summer. And how heartening to know that, as much fun as we'll be having in the audience, Chesney's tour team will be enjoying themselves just as much backstage.