The Cincinnati riverfront was the scene of another legendary concert Sunday night as Paul Brown Stadium hosted Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and the Brothers of the Sun tour for a crowd of over 42,000.
Paul Brown Stadium was nearly filled to capacity for the star-studded show that began with Jake Owen and Grace Potter before McGraw took the stage for a near 90-minute set and ended with Kenny Chesney. Chesney opened his set magically appearing in middle of the field surrounded by thousands of surprised fans and had a trapeze wire lift him over the crowd onto the main stage where he riveted fans through a nearly two-hour show.
Before appearing in person, Chesney appeared on the video screens wearing a Bengals helmet, saluting the team and Cincinnati. The exciting evening was capped off with a 30-minute Chesney-McGraw jamfest that did not conclude until nearly midnight. During the Chesney performance, one highlight was when he was joined first by Potter for a duet of "You and Tequila Drive me Crazy," then the two of them had a special surprise as they were joined by Poison lead singer Bret Michaels for a rousing rendition of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
Fans enjoyed the show, despite a one-hour weather delay of strong rain, wind, thunder and lightning that quickly came through downtown Cincinnati.
"The evacuation tested us, and it was amazing how orderly fans evacuated the floor and how our security company handled everything," Bengals director of business development Bob Bedinghaus said. "I give them high marks for dealing with what could have been a very dangerous situation."
After the storm passed, McGraw returned to the stage and cooler temperatures welcomed fans back to their seats.
Paul Brown Stadium, which has been the host of the Macy's Music Fest for R&B and Soul fans for nearly a decade, has shown to be a great venue for Country and Pop music fans. With this major national concert doing well in Cincinnati following the wonderful Paul McCartney visit to Great American Ball Park last year, the Cincinnati riverfront is a winning destination for stadium concerts.
"This was a great opportunity for us to showcase Paul Brown Stadium as a major concert venue," Bedinghaus said. "It's our hope that we put ourselves on the map, and we'll see where things go."
