We’re just days away from the biggest country show of the summer.  No, of the year!  The Brothers of the Sun tour hits Charlotte and the Bank of America stadium this Sunday and to get prepared, we chatted with Kenny Chesney.  He opened up to us about this superstar tour and the possibility of dropping by our Corona Island tailgate!

“Welcome To The Fishbowl” is Chesney’s 14th studio album and one that he thinks is the most personal and private to date. “I think this is most emotional, grown up record that I’ve ever done,” Chesney admits.  “That doesn’t mean there isn’t any fun on here because there is, but there’s a lot of life on this record. “  The album is full of some of the most honest songs he’s ever written.  “It’s still the most truthful and most authentic record that I’ve ever done as far as for me. And I’m looking forward to fans hearing the songs on it.”

Though he’s currently promoting his mature, personal and private record, he still lets himself have fun this summer with his co-headlining tour with Tim McGraw.  The setup is different than most shows, as Jake Owen and Grace Potter take the stage before most shows even open doors.  That allows for both McGraw and Chesney to have full concert sets plus an extra 20 minutes of duets between the two.  “That changes every night,” Chesney tells Tanner.  “We’re doing different songs every night because there’s a lot of Tim’s songs that I like to sing and everyday we’ll do something different.”  So fans can expect a new, unique show every time they come.

It’s not all business on the road, though.  During rehearsals, Chesney admitted McGraw was out to get him and fatten him up. “We did a week of rehearsals together and every day, and he knew that I was trying to get in really good shape because I had to do the “Come Over” video, and I was doing the cover of Men’s Health and to get in shape for the tour.“  The best way to keep a man from losing weight?  Feed him sweets day and night!  “One morning he would have like a dozen red velvet cupcakes to bring to me and one morning he brought a whole key lime pie,” he laughed.

What are the chances we will see the country superstar at our own Corona Island tailgate on the corner of Mint & Morehead? “There’s a chance. It’s kind of a spur of the moment thing, and to be honest with you, it got to a point where there’s only so many hours of the day that you can walk back and forth in your bus.”  In fact, he’s done that on a couple dates already!  After pacing the bus what seemed like a million times, Chesney grabbed his road manager David and hit the golf carts to the parking lots.  “They went ‘What?!’ I said I want to go see what people are doing to get ready to come to my show, and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.  It was just all these people who were just so passionate about me and the music that we’ve given them and how much fun they’re having with that music.”

So the final verdict on a Corona Island visit?

“Well if you see a bunch of guys rolling in golf carts with a couple of blenders of margaritas that’s me and the crew!”

RSVP to the free Corona Island tailgate on Facebook!