Posted on 07/21/2006 12:20:11 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Boston is a long way from Nashville, but don’t tell that to country superstar Kenny Chesney.
Chesney’s show at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium on Sunday made history: It was the top grossing single-day country music concert ever.
“I don’t know about history,” Chesney said in a press release yesterday. “I just know about smiling faces and people having a good time, and there sure were a lot of ’em at Gillette Stadium.”
The singer/songwriter from Luttrell, Tenn., became one of only 16 acts to gross more than $4 million at a single concert, joining a list that includes the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Madonna and the Jackson 5.
What makes Chesney’s feat especially impressive is that he did it without jacking up ticket prices. His show cost considerably less to attend than those by Madonna and the Stones, where the average ticket price hits three figures.
Even Bon Jovi’s show next week at Gillette has tickets priced at $127.50.
The top price for Chesney’s Gillette performance? A mere $85.
The fact that Chesney achieved his money-making feat near Boston, a city not known as a country mecca, may surprise many. But there are more twang-lovers in New England than might be expected.
“Boston is an unbelievable country music market,” Louis Messina, Chesney’s tour promoter, said yesterday. “This is our second year (at Gillette) in a row. Last year we did 48,000 people. It’s always been a huge country market. When we did George Strait many years ago, we sold out the old stadium Foxboro Stadium.
“Kenny’s just the biggest thing out there in country music,” Messina said. “He’s a superstar in all genres of music right now.”
I bought two of those "mere" $85 tickets for my daughters. They had a great time.
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