No shoes? Kenny Chesney’s real brand is fun (Syracuse concert review, photos)

Few country singers have created a brand for themselves as well as Kenny Chesney.

Chesney calls his fans the No Shoes Nation, proudly flying a black flag with a skull and crossbones while hawking products like boat wash, rum, clothing and sandals. Some of it’s about helping ocean conservation groups and some of it’s about making money, but mostly it’s about a lifestyle — singing feel-good songs while wearing a straw cowboy hat on a beach next to the bluest water you’ve ever seen.

At least 15,000 No Shoes Nation members came out to see Chesney play hits like “When the Sun Goes Down” and “American Kids” at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview on Thursday night. The Syracuse concert was great, and it showed that Chesney’s real brand is fun.

Chesney, wearing a tank top with jeans and boots, was having a blast all night, running all over the stage, laughing with his bandmates, and clapping along with every song. He even jumped up and down during mid-tempo songs like “I Go Back,” and appeared to steal keyboard player Wyatt Beard’s weird corn trophy as a prank at one point. (I have no idea what the trophy is for, which makes it twice as funny.)

It’s clear that Chesney truly loves performing, but he made sure to let everyone know how much he appreciates it. Chesney was originally supposed to perform at the St. Joe’s Amp in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out live shows.

“Thank you so much for having us,” he told the crowd. “It means the world to us that we can come back and make music again.”

Chesney didn’t say much else on stage, instead choosing to pack as many songs as possible into his 100-minute performance. “Beer in Mexico,” “Reality” and “Till It’s Gone” kicked off the show with a high energy level, leading into “We Do” (from his most recent album “Here Now”). He also played fan favorites like “Summertime” the anthem that started Chesney’s official brand: “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.”

Some songs had no breaks at all between them; “All the Pretty Girls,” “Living in Fast Forward” and “Young” were pretty much played as a medley. It sounds exhausting, but the ageless Chesney was up to the task — after all, he’s had 32 No. 1 hits in his career. Even if he doesn’t have enough time to play all of them in one night, he can certainly try.

The only time the music slowed down was for the ballads “Anything But Mine” and “You and Tequila,” but the latter — a duet which featured opening act Carly Pearce in place of Grace Potter — picked up the tempo midway through the song and sounded great live. (Pearce was barefoot during “You and Tequila,” by the way; Chesney never once appeared on stage with “no shoes.”)

Chesney didn’t even pause the music as he acknowledged as many fans as he could throughout the night. He was constantly waving at people, saying “thank you” in sign language so he could keep singing, and getting a kick out of those who made signs for him.

Kenny Chesney in Syracuse

Kenny Chesney performs at St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, N.Y., on Aug. 11, 2022. (Photo courtesy Claude Sawyer)

The showstopper was easily “When the Sun Goes Down,” though songs later in the night like the Grammy-nominated “Setting the World on Fire” (with bassist Harmoni Kelley handling Pink’s vocal part) and “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” might be more emblematic of Chesney’s overall vibe.

But because his brand is truly fun, he closed the night with a silly encore: “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” It’s not Chesney’s biggest hit, but it’s definitely his silliest and guaranteed everyone went home with a smile on their face.

(Want more proof he’s all about fun? The amphitheater soundtrack before he took the stage had a real Mom & Dad’s Night Out feeling, with songs like “Uptown Funk,” “Blurred Lines,” 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.”)

Pearce, who opened the show with a 45-minute set, was equally enthusiastic to be on stage but her songs were more laid back. The Grand Ole Opry member signed autographs and took selfies with fans’ phones as she performed hits like “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “Every Little Thing,” “Hide the Wine” and a cover of The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away.”

Kenny Chesney performs in Syracuse

Kenny Chesney, left, and Carly Pearce perform "You and Tequila" at St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, N.Y., on Aug. 11, 2022. (Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com)

Kenny Chesney concert setlist

Aug. 11, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview – Syracuse, NY

Beer in Mexico

Reality

Till It’s Gone

Here and Now

Summertime

We Do

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems

Somewhere With You

I Go Back

Get Along

Anything But Mine

Save It For A Rainy Day

When the Sun Goes Down

You and Tequila (with Carly Pearce)

All the Pretty Girls

Living in Fast Forward

Young

American Kids

Setting the World on Fire

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

How Forever Feels

Encore:

She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy

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