Country star Kenny Chesney will spend the summer co-headlining stadiums with his buddy Tim McGraw. But on Saturday night in New Orleans, he played a far smaller venue: The House of Blues.
The occasion was the culminating concert of Saints quarterback Drew Brees’ Brees Dream Foundation’s third annual “Amazing Race” charity fundraiser, which provides funding for after-school fitness and wellness programs in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. The event was staged in conjunction with actor Matthew McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, which funds fitness programs for inner-city public schools.
Chesney and his band took a break from rehearsals for the upcoming stadium tour to play the special House of Blues gig. Among items auctioned during the fundraiser was the chance to sing with Chesney. The winning bidder ponied up $10,000 to sing along with “Somewhere With You.”
Chesney had help from two celebrity guest vocalists -- Brees and McConaughey – for a finale of the football anthem “Boys of Fall.”
“We’ve been in tour rehearsals for weeks now so it was great for us to get on stage and feel the energy and feedback from the crowd,” Chesney said in a statement released by his publicist. “Tonight was all about playing music to help celebrate this great event. People in this town love music and helping out their neighbor and I was glad to be a part of it.”
Chesney has long history with the Saints. He’s worked out with the team, hung out in the locker room for big games, and performed during the Saints’ post-Super Bowl party in South Florida.
“Kenny has been a dear friend and always expressed interest in working with the foundation,” Brees said. “This is such a wonderful way to end the race and his support means the world to us.”
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