Based on the Facebook photos that Kenny Chesney posted last night, it appears that his first stop post-tour was our beloved St. John. But seriously, should we expect anything less?
Kenny capped off the final stop of his No Shoes Nation tour Saturday night at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts, and by Sunday night, he was posting post-tour pics from what appeared to be his St. John home.
Sadly, however, Saturday night was the last opportunity fans will have to see Kenny perform for quite some time as he recently announced he would be taking 2014 off from touring. But in true fashion, he went out with a bang, performing nearly 30 songs including the popular “When I See This Bar.” He dedicated the song’s final verse to his Virgin Islands friends who shared in his coming of age.
“It’s an incredible life,” Kenny wrote on his website. “Looking over and seeing all those faces, it was like ‘When I See This Bar’ was happening right there on stage right… and having Eric (Church) sing it with me, a guy who knows what it means to punch it out in a little dive bar with nobody there, well, that’s everything that song is! And everybody’s been there.”
More from Kenny’s website:
Being the end of tour, there were several “guests” of unlikely origin. NoShoesRadio.com’s Mark Tamburino free-rapped “Blister in the Sun,” while production steward Robin Majors blew some tasty harp on the set closing “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Beyond a spot-on cover of “The Fireman,” Chesney evoked early U2 overtones on the outro of “Come Over” and the Dave Matthews Band on his reggae-tinged “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven.”
But it was the hushed “Happy On the Hey Now,” considered to be the emotional center of Life On A Rock, Chesney’s 7th #1 Billboard Top 200 Albums debut, that brought almost 55,000 fans to a hush. Never played in concert, it was a starkly acoustic debut for the song written about living in the moment, the sudden loss of a dear friend and the preciousness of what is shared with friends.
“I was a little nervous about doing a song so quiet and so personal in a venue that big,” Chesney said. “But so many of the people who were part of that song were there… I knew those fans were just as much a part of my life, and I wasn’t going to see them again until 2015… and I wanted something to bind us all together. It was a risk, and when I saw all the lighters and cell phones with flames aloft, I knew it was the right decision.”
“Happy On the Hey Now” is a song dedicated to Kristi Hansen. Below is a beautiful video tribute to her:
kenny: loved this tribute to Kristi, really miss going back to st john and seeing her and hanging out on the beach with her. wonderful spirit, forever missed…joe
The boy has his priorities in line. Ride it hard, slide in sideways, then sit back recharge the batteries.
Heard the concert was great at Foxboro. My son lives in Boston & works at Gillette stadium. Kenny is great. Respect him, his life and his talent. Wish he would hire my husband & I or my son. LOL. Just like the rest of the fans I suppose! First time I saw Kenny in SJ – I had no idea who he was. Waitress at Woodies told me not to say anything to him. I said OK – I wasn’t going to as I don’t know who he is. She said he is Kenny Chesney. I still had no clue. Went home bought a CD & the rest is history. A fan for life!!!! Of Kenny’s and St. John. Gosh I miss St. John. Steals your heart for sure.
Loved the tribute to Kristi. I remember seeing her on trips down to St John, but didn’t know her. Seemed like a beautiful soul…
She sure was….
Loved this song, very touching. Sad story for sure, God must need some good people up there.
Altho i am confused about Kenny’s new songs, back a few years ago he said in interviews he regretted writing about the island, as fans were flocking down, and now he is writing all about it again. I’m not a huge psycho fan of his, I just love the island & have been many times for the past 10 years, i was looking at some blogs yesterday & people are crazy & looking for the “Hey Now” boat, so again, the island will become flooded with fans trying to get a peek at him.
Last i knew his house was for sale, maybe he changed his mind?
From Country 92.5 in Connecticut:
Track 10 on Kenny Chesney’s new album (out 4/30) is titled, “Happy on the Hey Now (A Song for Kristi)”.
Just who is Kristi?
She was an icon in St.John, who worked at Woody’s and La Tapa restaraunts, and died before her time at 35.
“The ‘Hey Now’ is a boat. We had a lot of fun on it. This song is grounded in ways I didn’t see coming. Kristi was part of a circle of friends that defined my life. She didn’t care who I was or what I did. Kristi was good at life. She died before her time. I wasn’t going to put this song on the album, because it’s so personal. This song made me rethink everything” Kenny explained.
Kristi died giving birth to her daughter, and the baby died also. She was survived by her fiance, Ben Shepherd.
Kenny said he considers this song, and “When I See This Bar” as the lynchpins that inspired the entire project.
It should also be noted that Kenny dedicated his last album, “Welcome to the Fishbowl” to Kristi. From the liner notes:
“This album is dedicated to my friend Kristi Hansen who lost her life this year on March 6. She was young and beautiful and now she will always be young and beautiful. She had enough of an island free spirit for all of us. She was my friend and every note of this music is dedicated to her, her little girl Aria, kelly and Keith, and her family in Maine, Ben Shepherd and our wonderful circle of St. John island friends who all shared a lot of laughs over the years, countless boat trips on the Hey Now, countless happy hours at our favorite bar- usually with her ringing the bell, countless sunsets, and so many moments together sitting on some stretch of sand as time seemed to hang in the balance. Cheers kristi…You were everything anybody could want in a friend and more. I’m glad our paths crossed in this life and I am so glad that I got to know you. I know my life is better for it. I hope you are on your favorite sailboat with the sun on your face and the wind at your back. See you on the side my friend, somewhere in the sun.”
I’m so sad to only now have read this and learned of Kristi. I’ve been a fan of Kenny for many years and have often thought of his music as reflective of one who was caught aback by the dichotomy of fame. He always has seemed so very real, which is what I love most. It’s very heartwarming to me that he has enjoyed such a sweet life away from the rat race with friends who love him. As for Kristi, Aria, and Ben… There are no words.
God Bless you Kristi. RIP!!!
Ben, my heart goes out to you. Please read John 5:28, 29. What God promises he will do.
Kenny, you must have a wonderful heart. Your songs are beautiful. You have a paradise like home. Please know God’s purpose from the beginning was a paradise earth. He promises for the whole earth to be a paradise again. If you read Revelation 21:3, 4 God promises to do away with death. Psalms 37:10,11 prove what life will be like when the earth is restored to paradise. No more sickness, no death, no more wickedness.
Ok I stumbled upon this website while playing when I should be working but couldn’t help but read all the comments never knew the real story and now I love his music even more, if that was possible! It’s amazing the people that cross our paths, the ones that leave footprints on our hearts! Cheers to those and cheers to the ocean, the way it calls you back! Ill get to St John one day!!!
Dear Ben,I am so sorry because there are no words. Unfortunately I understand what happened better than most people. Having seen pictures of Kristi, she was a beautiful soul, her life shown through like her body just couldn’t contain all of the life love and happiness inside her. Kate l
Thank you