7 Best Moments as Kenny Chesney Becomes First Country Artist to Play Las Vegas’ Sphere

It feels like each act who plays Sphere builds on the amazing special effects and visuals from the acts who came before them and betters them, but Chesney’s opening sequence was truly spectacular and honestly felt like a theme-park dark ride attraction. The 270-degree wraparound screen (which covers 160,000 square feet) took us deep-sea diving through a shipwreck and further into the abyss, surrounded by sharks and schools of fish before coming to the surface where pirate ships with No Shoes Nation flags flying. At the same time the haptic seats are vibrating and moving as the sea turns into the Sphere and it literally feels like the venue does a 360-degree turn in a move that’s breathtaking (and a little nauseating if you’re prone to motion sickness) and utterly astounding. So, in other words, make sure you’re in your seat when the show starts because you really don’t want to miss this thrill ride.

Without pandering, Chesney played tribute to Las Vegas in ways both big and small. During “Living in Fast Forward,” one of Chesney’s most enjoyable, upbeat songs 20 years after its release, he incorporated footage of a NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Then in a much more obvious way, for his last number before the encore, “Out Last Night,” the scenery switched to the Las Vegas Strip with Sphere with his No Shoes Nation logo and the surrounded hotels including the Venetian and a neon Las Vegas sign (Chesney, embracing the    “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” motto, figured the audience would continue the party after they left the venue,  noting, “It’s really possible you’re going to wake up tomorrow next to someone you know or someone you don’t know.” Not to be outdone, Chesney’s bass player, Harmoni Kelley rocked a white, sequined jumpsuit in an homage to Elvis’s Vegas era.

In a show full of dazzling visuals, “Big Star,” his 2002 song about a woman who ends up a superstar despite all those who doubted her, was a standout. “Big Star” became a pinball machine drawing the audience in as if part of the game as balls careened around the Sphere and lights flashed. Other than the opening sequence, it was the most immersive, impressive spectacle of the night. But the nicest part was he used the song to pay tribute to some of the women who came before and after him, showing photos of him with Loretta Lynn and Reba McEntire and then Kelsea Ballerini and Megan Moroney, both of whom he has mentored and taken on tour.

A little more than half-way through, Chesney huddled with band and crew. They poured a few drinks (made with Blue Chair Rum, no doubt), some of which Chesney and band handed out to audience members. Chesney then said they were deciding what to do next (a nice (that’s a nice twist to do every show and add in songs not on the setlist) before launching into 1999’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”  Shortly into the song, Kelsea Ballerini, in a sparkly silver dress, appeared on stage. Chesney seemed genuinely surprised and mightily delighted to be reunited with his fellow Knoxville native and former touring partner, grabbing her in a sweet bear hug, and expressed his surprise again after they finished the song. They then launched into “Half of My Hometown,” their 2021 duet that went straight to No. 1, with Ballerini telling him, “I love you,” at the end, and his answering, “I love you, too.” They then finished with “You & Tequila,” his bittersweet 2011 duet with Grace Potter (as the song’s video played in the background).  Their friendship and affection for each other was sweetly palpable. He noted that she wasn’t the only friend in attendance, namechecking Van Halen’s Michael Anthony and football great Peyton Manning.

If there’s one song that sums up Chesney’s ethos, it’s 2018’s “Get Along,” which Chesney introduced by adding, “It’s what we’re about.” It’s the only song of the night where the lyrics appeared on the screen, leading to a sing along. And in a world divided, words like “Always give love the upper hand” and “Make a friend, can’t we all get along?” feel like so much more than just platitudes; they feel like Chesney’s Commandments and necessary. Throughout the evening, Chesney’s good vibes prevailed, turning Sphere into a big love-in.

Fans don’t usually look to Chesney for statement songs or tunes that address social issues, but “Welcome to the Fishbowl,” the title track to his 2012 album, was downright prophetic, looking at the way social media and technology were going to change our world—in many ways for the worse. “I wrote this song 15 years ago. Little did I know it wasn’t a glimpse into the future,” Chesney said. The visuals were especially strong, with Chesney appearing from inside a mobile phone. Coincidentally, sitting inside Sphere definitely feels like sitting inside a fishbowl.

Prior to starting his residency, Chesney said he would be digging deep into the catalog, as well as bringing the hits, and did he ever. Right after “Fishbowl,” he launched into “One Lonely Island,” from his most recent album, Born. It was the first time he’d done the ballad about two lost souls drifting toward each other for a little comfort or “a night of healin’,” as Chesney sings.  He followed that a few songs later with “Seven Days,” from 2010’s Hemingway’s Whiskey, another tune that he had never performed live before. “Thanks for letting us do that,” Chesney said afterwards, but the pleasure was all ours.