CONCERT REVIEW: Kenny Chesney And Co. Put Substance Over Style

FOXBOROUGH, MA – No one is tasked with reinventing the wheel at a country concert. As long as the beer keeps flowing, tailgates start early and performers stick to their sing-along favorites, the crowd leaves happy. But Friday night's show at Gillette Stadium – headlined by Kenny Chesney with a supporting cast of country acts – did away with the arena frills and allowed the talent to shine.

Chesney was preceded by a strong set of openers in rising stars Midland, Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett. Without bursts of fireworks or onstage gimmicks to use as a crutch (no disrespect to tequila shots with the band), the acts had breathing room to showcase their music.

It's perhaps unfair to include Thomas Rhett in the same conversation as Midland and Old Dominion. While the latter groups certainly know how to put on a show – keep an eye on Old Dominion frontman Matthew Ramsey – Rhett is a born performer.

You'd be forgiven for thinking the 27-year-old has been selling out arenas for decades. Just five years after releasing his first single, Rhett has landed on the sweet spot between polish and improv in his sets. Whether he's leaping across the stage like a countrified version of A Midsummer Night's Dream's Puck, stripping it down for an acoustic rendition of Bruno Mars' "That's What I Like" or joining his band for a James Brown-esque dance routine, Rhett's energy is contagious.

His catalog of hits – "Get Me Some of That," "Die a Happy Man," "T-Shirt," "Crash and Burn," "Craving You" – served as a delicious appetizer for Chesney's hearty two-hour meal.

Despite Chesney's Tennessee roots, he famously has a deep connection with New England (one might argue his presence in the owner's box at the Super Bowl was the good luck charm behind the Pats' improbable comeback). He played on this heavily during his performance, even prefacing it with video of the Patriots' winning touchdown.

Further proof of Chesney's allegiance to Massachusetts: he chose Gillette for his only two stadium shows this summer. The country megastar will release a 30-song live album at the end of October, 11 of which were recorded at Friday's show.

Chesney appeared genuinely in awe of the crowd Friday night and interjected briefly to explain why he chose Gillette to record part of his album.

"The reason I wanted to do that – what you guys just did on 'American Kids' and what you've done all night, you have to hear it," he said to applause. "You have to hear yourselves."

What distinguishes Chesney from other live performers is his voice, which sounds like it was ripped off the CD. It started to falter toward the end of his two-hour set, which ran the gamut from recent hits like "Setting the World on Fire" to classics such as "I Go Back," "Boys of Fall" and "Beer in Mexico," but he re-emerged after the lights faded for a booming duet of "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" with Thomas Rhett.

Friday night's show kept it light – none of the performers were in as much pain as Chris Stapleton or Jason Isbell – but a minimalist approach to the summer party highlighted the real talent behind the fun.

Photo Courtesy of Gillette Stadium | Steve Spencer