Summer vibes rule at concert with Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band at American Family Field

A burst of rain dampened the tents, billowing pirate flags and clothes worn by the throngs of tailgating revelers in the American Family Field parking lot before Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band’s stadium show Saturday night.

But that storm — and the one that arrived just as Chesney’s set began, causing the stadium to close the outfield panels making for a steamy, humid headlining set — didn’t dampen the summer-like vibes of the near-capacity crowd.

Lightning flashed outside the domed stadium as Chesney bounded onstage waving his hands over cowboy hat. “Milwaukee! It’s good to see you again!” There must be something to the saltwater-cowboy lifestyle Chesney has cultivated; the 56-year-old had the energy of a much younger man, sprinting across the large stage, guitar in hand, as the rollicking country rock of “Living in Fast Forward” blended into the first of many tropical-themed singalongs, “Beer in Mexico.”

It was a night of beaches, drinks (Chesney’s personal rum brand, naturally) and revelry, with Chesney as the exuberant party host — clapping his hands to lead the beat, waving his hands to the far reaches of the crowd (which the production kept lit for much of the night — a nice touch) and shouting “Milwaukee!” dozens of times across the 110-minute, hit-filled set.

Six songs in, Chesney’s red tank top was soaked with sweat, but that only pushed him to run faster and jump higher. When he did slow down, it was to tap the other theme that has marked his career — deep, palpable nostalgia. It came in the reflection of “Til It’s Gone,” a song about holding onto memories during which Chesney told the crowd it didn’t feel like summer for the singer and his six-piece band if they didn’t come to the Brewers’ stadium.

“Summertime,” “I Go Back” and “Young” all mixed reminiscing with fist bumps for the pit around the catwalk and blown kisses to the dancing, and loudly singing, crowd. Later, Chesney said he had added “The Good Stuff” to the setlist at the last minute. It was a good addition, as the rare slowed-down moment had fans slow dancing in the aisles as blue light glowed to the rafters.

At the end of the set, Chesney took the crowd back the furthest he’d go in his catalog to 1998’s “How Forever Feels.” It was one of the few reminders of Chesney’s early, more traditional country days. But Saturday, it was yet another party dance tune that filled the night with bouncy jubilation.

Zac Brown Band paired with Kenny Chesney

It felt weird being five miles from Summerfest watching Zac Brown Band play somewhere other than their regular Milwaukee summer home, the American Family Amphitheater.

But a seasonal stadium trek with Chesney is hard to pass up, and the pairing worked well. Already a hulking ensemble of nine members, the band was joined by three horns that added a unique and ongoing distinction to the 85-minute set. Emerging to those horns’ interpolation of the "Rocky" theme, the opening song “Keep Me in Mind” was performed as a dreamy soulful jaunt, while the bright and sunny “Toes” added a brass-fueled mariachi flair.

In recent years, Zac Brown Band at times has meandered from its roots with experimentation in more modern pop directions, and even a few misguided EDM sounds. But this tour stop found them firmly back where they are best — as purveyors of an eclectic mix of country, soul and classic rock ‘n’ roll sounds, all accentuated by Brown’s rich voice and the band’s beautiful harmonies, and mixed into a delicious stew.

Case in point: The band was well suited for a spot-on cover of all aspects of “Bohemian Rhapsody” — from the syncopated piano, dramatic operatic vocals, playful lyrics and the thunderous rock guitars. Just as quickly, “Jump Right In” was pure Caribbean escapism that soon morphed into a Jimmy De Martini-led “You Can Call Me Al” and Brown’s own falsetto-tinged “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” accented by Caroline Jones’ soaring vocal trills.

Sure, it was a different American Family-named venue, but it still felt like summer in Milwaukee.

Megan Moroney and Uncle Kracker opened for Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band

“Milwaukee, how are you doing?” Megan Moroney asked as she skipped across the stage on the rollicking opening roadhouse country melodies of “Lucky.” With a polished and engaging stage presence and impressive songwriting skills that bode well for a star in the making, Moroney and her four-piece band layered their 50-minute set with rich, classic country sounds and delicate lyrical songcraft, like the tender mid-set song “No Caller ID,” the beautifully personal “”Girl in the Mirror” and the stunning set closer “Tennessee Orange.”

Uncle Kracker opened the evening with a 30-minute set of laid-back pop country sounds performed with his five-piece band.

3 takeaways from Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band's concert at American Family Field in Milwaukee

• Both artists paid tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett, an artist who worked with and inspired both Brown and Chesney. Buffett appeared in the opening video ahead of Chesney’s set. “I don’t know anywhere else in the world that the spirit of Jimmy Buffett would be tonight,” Brown had noted earlier in introducing “Pirates & Parrots” in dedication to the late singer who passed away last year. As the tribute track merged into “Knee Deep,” Buffett appeared on screen to take his verse of the bouncy track. The crowd roared in appreciation.

• Chesney invited both of the night’s openers to join him for portions of his set, with Uncle Kracker attempting to complete their chart-topping duet “When the Sun Goes Down” (albeit with a lyrical flub) and singing Dobie Gray’s "Drift Away.” Later, Moroney added her impressive vocals to “All the Pretty Girls” and a remarkable cover of Deana Carter’s “You and Tequila,” all while wearing a Brewers jersey to the approval of the crowd.

• As if the party atmosphere wasn’t enough, Chesney stopped the show mid-set to explain that when a crew member has a birthday on show day, they sing to them with the crowd. So out stepped crew member Bobby Lowe, who was serenaded with “Happy Birthday” and offered a cake and a giant tropical drink.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band: Summer vibes at American Family Field