WASHINGTON, July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Midway through the year's most attended
Poets & Pirates Tour, complete with 14 NFL stadium plays, the four-time
consecutive and current Academy of Country Music and three-time and reigning
Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year has set his sights on XM
Radio and his own signature music channel, 'No Shoes Radio.'
Scheduled to launch July 26, 'No Shoes Radio' will feature music from
Chesney's audio catalog, including never-before-heard recordings, an uncut,
exclusive concert broadcast from the 2008 Poets & Pirates Tour, plus random
drop-ins from fans, friends and plenty of music to bring to life the attitude
that permeates Kenny Chesney's world.
'There's a lot of hits, but there are also a lot of album tracks, songs
from the early part of my career, stuff from our Keg in the Closet shows and
obscurities that you had to be there to hear,' says the Luttrell,
Tennessee-born and -raised singer/songwriter with a laugh. 'Anyone who knows
anything about me knows how passionate I am about music, and this is a way to
bring people into everything I love about songs, playing ... music.'
'No Shoes Radio' will also include music beyond Chesney's catalog,
featuring both those artists who rocked Chesney's world and the kind of music
you could easily hear drifting from the backstage 'Vibe Room' -- capturing the
sonic culture of the Poets & Pirates Tour.
'I think we've become a part of people's lives,' admits the high energy
performer. 'The way a lot of bands were for us, we're what they're listening
to when they're hanging out, when they're having fun, when they need to gear
up for something. That's what music always did for me ... and it's kind of
mind-blowing to think that your songs could be that for someone else. So for
all those fans out there, get ready for something pretty cool.'
In the spirit of his Corona-sponsored Poets & Pirates Tour, music and
other content for 'No Shoes Radio' will be captured on the bus, in the halls,
around the soundchecks, and even during post-show jams. Beyond that, not only
will Chesney's special guests be taking part in the ad hoc merriment, look for
tailgating fans from the parking lot to provide drop-ins, shout-outs and the
occasional request.
Said Chesney, 'This is a way to keep the vibe alive, long after our tour
is gone.'
For XM, this sort of full-immersion, dedicated radio channel is reserved
for a very few artists -- Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, George Strait and the
recently announced Coldplay.