Chesney’s “Sun City Carnival” Rolls Into Mohegan Sun
As you already know, last night we had the pleasure of attending opening night of the “Sun City Carnival Tour” at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. Kenny Chesney’s headlining tour includes Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert as supporting acts as it travels the U.S. and Canada throughout the summer.
Our night began with a meet & greet (M&G) with Lady Antebellum. As usual, the band was very welcoming and they seemed especially excited for the new tour to begin. We thought it was very nice for each member of the trio to take their individual time with every fan at the M&G.
Next up was our M&G with Kenny Chesney. Kenny looked great and was in a good mood while meeting with everyone. As longtime Chesney fans, chatting and laughing with Kenny seemed more like catching up with an old friend rather than meeting a superstar.
Next up: SHOWTIME! Lady Antebellum took the stage for their set that included their first three singles, “Love Don’t Live Here,” “Lookin’ For A Good Time,” and “I Run To You,” plus a few others from their debut album. They seem to be a perfect fit for the tour as they had the crowd dancing and singing along from the very beginning.
Miranda Lambert’s set was rockin’ from the start. We knew that Miranda’s bad-ass personality would come through in her show, but what (happily!) surprised us was how much fun she had and how much she interacted with the crowd. She sang a great mix of songs that included “Kerosene,” “Dead Flowers,” “More Like Her,” and “Gunpowder & Lead” – a great combination that had her strumming her pink guitars at times, and working the stage the rest of the time.
After a brief intermission and introduction videos welcoming the fans to the Sun City Carnival tour, the familiar sound of the fiddle kicked into the opening notes of “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Kenny surprised the crowd by entering from the back of the arena on a swing, which maneuvered him all around the crowd for the entire opening number.
After finally landing on the stage, he continued on with high-energy hits like “Live Those Songs Again,” “Summertime,” “Big Star,” and his newest release, “Out Last Night.”
After spotting a disco ball hanging from the ceiling of the arena, we couldn’t help but wonder how that would come into play during the show. We quickly figured out that it was a great addition to the show! During a slower intro of “I Go Back,” the ball was lowered and disco lights filled the arena. It was fun to hear the classic Chesney song with a new twist added in.
Another fantastic addition to the show was the reappearance of Kenny’s classic “Me And You.” He mentioned that he hadn’t played the song live in 5 years, but by the crowd’s reaction and Kenny’s vocals on the song, you would have never known. He mentioned that he will change up the ballads throughout the tour, but we have a feeling that this one will remain a crowd favorite.
Kenny’s set continued with hit after hit, and he even added in a fun cover of John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane.” After leaving the stage for a few moments, Kenny came back for his encore of the No. 1 single “Don’t Blink.” As the show concluded, Kenny remained on stage to sign autographs for fans gathered at each section of the large stage.
Kenny’s tour is traditionally a summer highlight for country music fans, and with the opening show of the “Carnival” now under their belt, Chesney and Co. have proved that this summer will be no exception. Kenny Chesney truly is the “King of Summer.”
Click HERE to see if the “Carnival” will be coming to your city.
