Again?!
Yes, once again the Twins have announced Kenny Chesney as their big concert next summer at Target Field. The party-centric, flip-flop-flaunting Tennessee country singer is due to return July 18-19 for two co-headlining shows with fellow good-timey yahoo Jason Aldean. Ticket info will be announced in the coming weeks.
These will be Chesney's third appearances in four years at the Twins ballpark. Beatles fans can thank him for not touring this past summer, leaving room for Paul McCartney to break up the monopoly/monotony at the Minneapolis stadium — which has limited windows of time to host big concerts given the team's schedule and Minnesota weather.
For fans perplexed and/or perturbed by the three-peat, here are five reasons why the Twins keep turning to Chesney to fill their stadium:
1. Grand slamming. Alcohol sales are how venues make most of their revenue from concerts. The prior two Chesney concerts at Target Field were soaking in profits, with booze literally sold by the bucketload (yes, one mega-sized Bacardi drink was served in pails). Major Target Field sponsor Budweiser no doubt likes having Chesney there, too. From a financial standpoint, Kenny is way better business for the Twins than, say, the teen-centric One Direction, which is playing TCF Bank Stadium just eight days later.
2. He's a long-term prospect. Although hasn't landed a big, rowdy hit like "Beer in Mexico" or "She Thinks My Tractor Is Sexy" of late — come on America, you're slipping! — Chesney did debut atop the Billboard album chart last month with his latest, "The Big Revival," and certainly shows no sign of slipping on the ticket-selling front. He can brag of drawing more than 1 million fans on each of his past eight tours, counting the two quick sell-outs at Target Field. Aldean, too, became one of the top-drawing acts on tour in recent years.
3. We're a big city that's big on country. The Twin Cities has frequently ranked as a top-five market for the country music industry. So it makes sense for one of its biggest acts to keep coming back here. Look no further than Garth Brooks, who knows numbers better than any singer alive: He booked 11 shows at Target Center starting next week, and now Minneapolis holds the record for most tickets sold on any of his tours.
4. There's not a whole lot else to choose from. With album sales dwindling and programming choices more individualized (iTunes and Spotify vs. FM radio and MTV), the music industry doesn't produce megastars like it used to. There simply aren't a lot of acts that can fill stadiums anymore. Taylor Swift seems certain for a big tour next year, and the Stones might keep rolling, too. Otherwise, there are few other sure things for the Twins to consider.
