Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney had already recorded 11 songs on his new album, "Hemingway's Whiskey," when he decided to scrap all but a few of them and start from scratch. It was the end of 2009, and he was about to take a year off from music. But, Chesney said, "I listened to it, and it wasn't complete. I realized I had made that record [when he was] tired, and it sounded it. " Chesney, one of the few musicians who can command a stadium show — he performs Saturday at FedEx Field — has had a long, successful career.

We have a pair of tickets to give away to the Kenny Chesney concert , which is Saturday, May 25, at FedEx Field. Parking pass included. If you'd like them, please email your name and phone number to khenry@baltsun.com and be sure to put "Kenny Chesney" in the subject line.  We'll pick a winner at random on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.. Tickets must be picked up by 4:00 p.m. Friday at The Baltimore Sun's downtown office. 

Franklin, Tenn. -- Kenny Chesney sits in the sun on the back deck near the pool of his enormous country manor, a weathered red baseball cap pulled tight over his forehead. His island tan is well-displayed in a sleeveless T-shirt, baggy shorts and flip-flops, looking every bit the buff beachcomber that his publicity photos and CD covers suggest. Still, his brow is creased above his wire-rim glasses, and the serious look turns to a grimace as the sound of a helicopter breaks the quiet. "Uh-oh, we've got company," he says, motioning toward the sky. "I've had four or five of these this morning."

We've shown you our Preakness-inspired fashion ideas . Now, we want to see what you've got in your wardrobe - and we're putting tickets to see Kenny Chesney at stake. Put together your best Preakness look, and share it with us on Pinterest before noon on Sunday, May 19. Our Baltimore Sun judges will choose the look they like best, and the winner will get a pair of tickets (and a parking pass) to see Kenny Chesney at FedEx Field on Saturday, May 25. Looks can be anything from one item (a fancy hat)

We've shown you our Preakness-inspired fashion ideas . Now, we want to see what you've got in your wardrobe - and we're putting tickets to see Kenny Chesney at stake. Put together your best Preakness look, and share it with us on Pinterest before noon on Sunday, May 19. Our Baltimore Sun judges will choose the look they like best, and the winner will get a pair of tickets (and a parking pass) to see Kenny Chesney at FedEx Field on Saturday, May 25. Looks can be anything from one item (a fancy hat)

HOT FIVE 1. "Hollaback Girl," Gwen Stefani 2. "Hate It or Love It," The Game 3. "Candy Shop," 50 Cent 4. "Lonely," Akon 5. "Oh," Ciara Billboard ALBUMS 1. ... Something to Be, Rob Thomas 2. The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey 3. Who Is Mike Jones?, Mike Jones 4. Il Divo, Il Divo. 5. The Massacre, 50 Cent Billboard CONCERT TOURS 1. Eagles 2. Kenny Chesney 3. George Strait 4. Rod Stewart 5. Cher Pollstar DVD SALES 1. Ocean's Twelve 2. Hotel Rwanda 3. The Incredibles (widescreen)

Kenny Chesney -- Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (BNA) Kenny Chesney has released five chart-topping albums in as many years while emphasizing the virtues of easy living and idealized nostalgia. Sturdy and recognizable as it is, Chesney's voice is a blunt instrument, and he bulls through "Never Wanted Nothing More" atop a shimmering pedal steel guitar. His uncomplicated approach serves the straightforward yearning that spills from "Wife and Kids," but the 39-year-old Tennessean's songs are cookie-cutter affairs that range from the harmless schmaltzy call to live life fully in "Don't Blink" to the laughably overdone lament of an exotic dancer's plight in "Dancin' for the Groceries."

Top Fives Hit Radio Singles 1. 3 Doors Down, "When I'm Gone" 2. 50 Cent, "In Da Club" 3. R. Kelly, "Ignition" 4. Justin Timberlake, "Rock Your Body" 5. Amanda Perez, "Angel" Alternative Singles 1. Linkin Park, "Somewhere I Belong" 2. Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life" 3. Audioslave, "Like A Stone" 4. Trapt, "Headstrong" 5. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Can't Stop" Country Singles 1. Darryl Worley, "Have You Forgotten" 2. Kenny Chesney, "Big Star"...

Kenny Chesney had already recorded 11 songs on his new album, "Hemingway's Whiskey," when he decided to scrap all but a few of them and start from scratch. It was the end of 2009, and he was about to take a year off from music. But, Chesney said, "I listened to it, and it wasn't complete. I realized I had made that record [when he was] tired, and it sounded it. " Chesney, one of the few musicians who can command a stadium show — he performs Saturday at FedEx Field — has had a long, successful career.

In an economic environment where the music industry largely withered, the concert industry in 2008 held steady - but just on the surface. Tour grosses from November 2007 through November 2008 were up nearly 13 percent from the year before, with overall ticket sales hitting a record of a little less than $4 billion worldwide, according to Billboard magazine. North American concert grosses were up 8 percent in 2008 after a 10 percent decrease the year before. However, the trend of declining global concert attendance continued, falling 2 percent after a nearly 20 percent drop in 2007.

Motorists using downtown streets tomorrow are being warned of delays caused by to the annual Preakness Parade and a Kenny Chesney concert at M&T Bank Stadium scheduled for the afternoon. Additional events are being held at the Baltimore Convention Center, and city transportation officials said traffic could be heavy from 8 a.m. to midnight. Also, the Maryland Transportation Authority warned that traffic is expected to be heavy along north and southbound Interstate 95 in the city, especially near the downtown and Russell Street exits.

TELEVISION 1.NBC Sunday Night Football, NBC 2.Survivor, CBS 3.CSI, CBS 4.Sunday Night NFL Pre-kick, NBC 5.Cold Case, CBS FILMS 1.Resident Evil: Extinction, Screen Gems 2.Good Luck Chuck, Lionsgate 3.The Brave One, Warner Bros. 4.3:10 to Yuma, Lionsgate 5.Eastern Promises, Focus Features SINGLES 1.Crank That (Soulja Boy), Soulja Boy 2.Stronger, Kanye West 3.Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal), Fergie 4.The Way I Are, Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson 5.Bartender, T-Pain featuring Akon ALBUMS 1.Graduation, Kanye West 2.Curtis, 50 Cent 3.Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, Kenny Chesney 4.High School Musical 2 soundtrack, Various artists 5.Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, Various artists DVDS (SALES)

Kenny Chesney -- Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (BNA) Kenny Chesney has released five chart-topping albums in as many years while emphasizing the virtues of easy living and idealized nostalgia. Sturdy and recognizable as it is, Chesney's voice is a blunt instrument, and he bulls through "Never Wanted Nothing More" atop a shimmering pedal steel guitar. His uncomplicated approach serves the straightforward yearning that spills from "Wife and Kids," but the 39-year-old Tennessean's songs are cookie-cutter affairs that range from the harmless schmaltzy call to live life fully in "Don't Blink" to the laughably overdone lament of an exotic dancer's plight in "Dancin' for the Groceries."

About five years ago, Jason Aldean would sing to a small knot of folks, maybe 20 or so, in out-of-the-way clubs. Those amateur shows in small Southern and Midwestern bars, sometimes filled with rowdy beer-guzzling college students, were great prep work for the big time: a national tour opening for Rascal Flatts, one of country's biggest groups. "Back then, you're singing somebody else's songs, and it's easier to get 20 people involved than 20,000," says Aldean, who plays 1st Mariner Arena tonight.

The 2006 concert landscape looked a bit like a pop music rest home, shaped for the most part by artists who have been at it for three decades and more, according to the 2006 North America tour rankings released by the trade magazine Pollstar. The Rolling Stones and Barbra Streisand topped the list, and the Top 20 was littered with old-timers, including Elton John, Billy Joel, the Who, Def Leppard, Journey and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. And the biggest thing on the 2007 horizon? A reunion of Genesis, featuring Phil Collins.