Chesney "cuts down" touring by adding 3 shows

But he announced Friday he was adding three shows to his schedule in September. Chesney, band, horn section and the Wailers' Drummie Zeb will play Sept. 10 in Biloxi, Miss. at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Sept. 11 in Tallahassee, Fla. at the Leon County Civic Center and Sept. 12 in North Charleston, S.C. at the North Charleston Coliseum.

"We've been out headlining every summer since 2002, some of these cities won't miss me for a year," Chesney said.

"Between the Fan Club, the radio stations, people who know people," Chesney said, "the people who love this music in these cities have made it pretty clear to us that they want the Sun City Carnival - and they want it this year."

"It takes so much work to get the show figured out, physically built, rehearsed," Chesney said. "And we start long before the tour we're doing is over... So you get a little mentally burned out... and you think, 'Yeah, this year, I'm gonna take it a little lighter.' But the fact is when you start playing for the people, all that tired goes away.That's not what wears you out - that's what feeds you. That's why we do all the rest of it: to get up on that stage and play."

"When we started hearing these markets were really unhappy we weren't coming in this year, and this year, the energy onstage from the band and the music is the best it's ever been... well, you get thinking and you get talking about it with your people. Then you start to think, 'Why not?' because isn't that the point? Making music? Rocking with the fans? So I said to (tour organizers and promoters) Clint and Louis and Kate, see if you can work this out - and they did."

Chesney's "Greatest Hits Two" hits stores May 19 with top 10 single Out Last Night.