A Perfect Night For 24,000 At Sold Out Concert In Bozeman

We've all heard the phrase "It was worth the wait", well that was certainly the case for only the second concert in Bobcat Stadium in the last 40-plus years.

Folks from all over Montana and the region got together at Bobcat Stadium Saturday night for a concert that has literally been years in the making.

What started out as a hot day in southwestern Montana, turned into a beautiful summer evening with the perfect backdrop for what was no doubt the biggest concert of the summer in Montana.

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Country Mega Star Kenny Chesney brought his "Here And Now 2022 Tour" into Bozeman and played in front of a sold-out crowd.  Chesney, who has won every award imaginable, had never played in Bozeman before, and he mentioned that he hadn't played in Montana in "many, many years." He also talked about how the folks in the crowd had "waited for 3 years for this night to happen." The concert had to be postponed not only once, but twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The show started off with ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Carly Pearce, followed by ACM Group of the Year Old Dominion. Both acts gave a nod to classic country in their performances. Pearce sang the Dixie Chicks classic "Cowboy Take Me Away" while Old Dominion sang Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochie". Old Dominion decided to turn it up a notch when they covered the Foo Fighters' "Learning To Fly" in honor of Taylor Hawkins, who recently passed away.

Finally, it was time for the main event. Right before Chesney took the stage, he appeared on all the video screens in an empty Bobcat Stadium wearing a Montana State University helmet, which sent the sold-out crowd into a frenzy. What followed was one of the best performances folks will ever see. For two hours, Chesney gave everything he had. His high-energy performance had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.

Chesney, who has over 30 number 1 hits, performed several of them and the thousands in attendance sang right along with him.  One could quickly see why he has such a strong following as he spoke to the crowd with sincerity and made several mentions of Bozeman and Montana.

One of the things that folks at concerts love to hear is praise for their hometown and state and Chesney could teach a Master Class on how to do it the right way.

The stage was mammoth, the sound was excellent, the lights and effects were incredible and everyone seemed to be having a fantastic night with thousands standing, singing, and dancing to song after song. For those in attendance, I imagine it will be a memory that most of them have for the rest of their lives, and for many, will be the absolute best concert they've ever been to. It was simply that good.

It truly was a perfect night.