Old Dominion To Join Stadium Shows On Kenny Chesney’s The Big Revival Tour
Old Dominion, the ReeSmack/Thirty Tigers sensation produced by Grammy winner Shane McAnally, has built their career on the music, the work and the playing. The band of veteran songwriters, who are currently No. 2 on SiriusXM’s “The Highway Hot 45” with their hit “Break Up With Him,” have charted twice before with “Dirt On A Road” and “Shut Me Up” on iTunes, Spotify and SiriusXM’s “The Highway” – and that momentum has earned them one of country music’s most coveted invitations: a slot on Kenny Chesney’s The Big Revival Tour’s 17 stadium shows.
“We couldn’t believe it when we got the call,” says the band’s leader Matt Ramsey. “As an independent band, you fight for any chance to get your music in front of as many people as possible – and you can fit a lot of people in a stadium! We are beyond excited and honored that an iconic artist like Kenny is sharing his stage and his fans with Old Dominion. It truly is the opportunity of a lifetime for us and we are gonna bring it to the No Shoes Nation!”
Old Dominion – comprised of Ramsey, multi-instrumentalist Trevor Rosen, lead guitarist Brad Tursi, drummer Whit Sellers and bassist Geoff Sprung – has provided songs for a variety of hit makers including The Band Perry’s No.1 song “You Better Dig Two,” and “Chainsaw” as well as Craig Morgan’s “Wake Up Lovin’ You.” Old Dominion has also received cuts by Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Jake Owen and Chesney with songs currently climbing the charts including Dierks Bentley’s “Say You Do” and Tyler Farr’s “A Guy Walks Into A Bar.” But rather than limit themselves to writing for others, the five came together to make their own kind of country – stripped back, raw, a little funky, but muscular enough to hold its own on today’s country radio.
“Shut Me Up” has received more than 1.9 million Spotify plays, beyond its success on terrestrial radio. SiriusXM added “Break Up With Him” to meet the demand – and the “non-single” is already Top 5 in their countdown and climbing. Even Rolling Stone Country agrees the four Virginians and a Michiganger are one of their “Artists You Need To Know,” writing, “On the heels of a tour with Chase Rice and a bubbling hit, ‘Shut Me Up,’ Old Dominion is seeking to claim new territory. They’re building on the country-band blueprint set by the likes of Alabama and adding some fuzzy guitars, catchy licks and even a little rap that shoots for stadiums, not saloons.”
Having road-tested their music with Rice, Owen, Trace Adkins and Brett Eldredge, Old Dominion believes they’re ready for the stadium-sized stages their 17 dates on Chesney’s The Big Revival will provide. But being the kind of band who writes their songs, then brings them to life as a group, the challenge of firing up a football stadium worth of people seems like the next step in a career evolution that defies expectation.
“People need breaks,” Chesney says. “Coming up, I played for tips… in bars… anywhere people could hear my music. It’s part of building, and it’s part of learning how to do it. We’ve had Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Jake Owen early in each of their careers. I think the audience understands and likes seeing newcomers.”
With their Grand Ole Opry debut behind them, Old Dominion has played on some hallowed ground. Now they can tackle the end zone. As the first indie band given the privilege, that’s a pretty bold chance – and Old Dominion is more than ready.
