Kenny Chesney brought his Here and Now Tour to Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday night, and there were a few familiar faces that popped up during his set. When it comes to Music City concerts, country artists always seem to have a friend on speed dial for a cameo. Chesney’s date was no different, with three musicians coming out during the concert, which set an attendance record for Nissan Stadium.
The first two special guests were Old Dominion members Matt Ramsey and Brad Tursi. The pair came out for “Save It For A Rainy Day,” a track they actually co-wrote (with Andrew Dorff) for the country legend. It was a joyous, rousing moment that capitalized on the goodwill the group earned earlier in the night by serving as one of the show’s opening bands.
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“We love those guys and love seeing what’s happening to them,” Chesney said of Old Dominion’s rise. He then added of the song’s place in the setlist, “I just can’t live without this moment of the show.”
The true magical country music moment came not long after when Kelsea Ballerini stepped out on stage. The two took the opportunity to celebrate their No. 1 hit “half of my hometown,” which Chesney described as “a song that pulled on my heart strings the first time I heard it.”
Chesney used the moment introducing the song to reflect a bit, saying, “I grew up in East Tennessee; she grew up in East Tennessee. We drove down some of the same roads together. We went to a lot of the same places to eat with our families. We listened to the same radio station, and listened to a lot of people tell us we couldn’t do certain things that have dreamed of all our life. I came to this town with a head full of dreams and a heart full of music, and when I heard this next song, this person and this song truly validated my dream and I’m very proud to stand up here.”
A moving rendition of the cut followed, with Ballerini being brought to tears by the end of it. It’s not every day you get to perform one of your songs in front of 57,000+ people — and in country music’s capital, no less. It was truly a moment Ballerini and the fans in attendance surely won’t forget.
Chesney’s Here and Now Tour continues with stops in both stadiums and amphitheaters around the U.S. For ticket information, you can head over to Ticketmaster.
