Chesney returns to Dallas without rain

Chesney made good on a promise to return to Pizza Hut Park in the Dallas suburb of Frisco with fans admitted with the stub from the May 3show.

Just before 7:30 p.m., Chesney walked down the T that extends from his stage into the crowd, looked at fans at the Pizza Hit Park and asked, "Now where was I?" With little fan fare - and video of the May 3rd wash-out performance running behind him, Chesney sang There's Something Sexy About The Rain, and his return was underway.

"It was still light out - and I can't tell you the last time I went on before dark," Chesney said, "but I wanted those people to know we'd come to play. They'd been so amazing that night in the rain - and this show was for them. It was going to be one of those nights, and we were there to make some music, to let them know how much we appreciated their staying with us."

After two hours of his own songs, Chesney covered songs by Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, David Allen Coe, U2, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Violent Femmes, Alabama, the Kinks, George Strait, Van Halen, The Eagles and John Mellencamp.

"Fifteen minutes into the songs we loved, I decided to get comfortable," said Chesney. "We'd just played With or Without You, and I stripped off my boots and went barefoot. I wanted to feel the stage under my feet, just let it all go... and we did. You Never Called Me By My Name and Ice Cream Man, and three hours in, we played Take It To The Limit, and that was that."

"Technically we'd fulfilled our obligation, but then there's the moment... and the way you feel...and that was something I couldn't forget: all those people in that horrible rain who stayed there with us. They gave us a gift I'll never forget - so, this seems like the least we could do."

Chesney engaged in tailgating with fans. "Some people were pulling a hot tub on a trailer," Chesney said. "They were in the parking lot - and when I saw that, I headed to the bus, iced up a case of Corona and took it out...When I got there, they were having such a good time, I grabbed a beer and climbed in the hot tub with 'em."