Thomas Rhett Looks Forward to Learning From Kenny Chesney on Trip Around the Sun Tour

Thomas Rhett will wrap up his headlining Life Changes Tour just in time to serve as the opening act, along with Old Dominion, on Kenny Chesney‘s Trip Around the Sun Tour. The 27-year-old says joining Chesney on the road is a dream he’s held on to for most of his adult life.

“Being on a Kenny Chesney tour, I think is a dream that I’ve had since I was 19 years old,” Rhett shared with PopCulture.com at a recent media event. “[Jason] Aldean’s done it, Eric Church has done it, Miranda [Lambert] has done it. Anybody who is somebody has done that tour and there’s a reason for that and it’s because Kenny has perfected the art of learning how to entertain 70,000 people for two hours.”

Rhett joined Chesney for a couple shows at Gillette Stadium last year, which he says was a pivotal moment for his career.

“It really is a terrifying thing to go embark on,” admits Rhett. “Last year playing at Gillette two nights in a row was the first time I’d ever done a stadium, first of all, two nights in a row, and second of all, gotten to even play at dark. I’ve done stadiums before but it’s always been at 5:00, when there’s like 10,000 people in there. It’s really awkward.”

Stil, even in those two days, the “Marry Me” singer says he learned plenty from the country music icon.

“I feel like I got to learn so much even in just those two days of watching how Kenny connects to the person in the front row, and the person in the nose bleeds,” Rhett says. “That’s a very hard thing to do, and so I’m anxious to get out there and obviously do our set, but then just learn so much from Kenny. I think that’s every artist’s dream is to one day headline stadiums.”

In addition to learning about performing, Rhett also learned how to treat people off-stage, a skill Chesney has already mastered.

“He sets up this gigantic space next to his bus where he has a Tiki bar and food trucks and music playing,” Rhett reveals. “Literally, before the show and after the show, I could have walked up to Kenny and said, ‘Hey dude, I have 30 family members here, can [they come in]? Is that cool?’ Yeah, come on. He treats everybody like your their family, and I think that’s what creates such a unique and fun atmosphere with Kenny backstage, and that’s why so many people want to tour with him.

“Just from the camaraderie you get from that tour,” Rhett adds, “and then you also get to learn how to watch somebody play two hours of nothing but the most gigantic songs in the history of Country music. So, it’s pretty awesome.”

Rhett will wrap up his 2018 Life Changes Tour on April 20, and kick off his run with Chesney one day later, on April 21. A list of all of Rhett’s upcoming shows is available on his website.

Photo Credit: Instagram/ThomasRhettAkins