Kenny Chesney Brings Down the House With Show-Closing ‘Beer in Mexico’ at the CMT Awards
Kenny Chesney ended the 2022 CMT Music Awards on a high note on Monday night (April 11), closing down the show with an epic performance of his 2007 smash hit, "Beer in Mexico."
Sporting his iconic cowboy hat and rugged T-shirt and jeans, Chesney got the crowd good and riled up with a blast from the past custom made for the warmer months ahead. And as always, the song served up some major feel-good vibes for everyone watching, including the audience assembled at the nearly three-hour awards show.
Though the song itself is a throwback, the performance was brand-new. Chesney brought his newly configured band to the stage, featuring new drummer Nick Buda and new guitarist Danny Rader. It's the same lineup of musicians who will join him on the road for his 2022 Here and Now Tour, which begins April 23, and the gang of performers are fresh off of rehearsals for those live shows.
It's the first time in seven years that Chesney has performed at the CMTs. Before he took the stage, the singer explained that he got the idea to make an appearance at the CMTs because he wanted to offer a little preview of what fans can expect from his live show this year.
"When I realized the CMT Music Awards were happening next week, I asked if they could find space for us to debut this band, to play one of those songs that defined what we do live all those years ago – and they said, ‘C’mon,'" Chesney details.
The 2022 CMT Music Awards aired live from Nashvlle on CBS. The awards show was co-hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, Anthony Mackie and Kane Brown — the latter of whom was a last-minute addition after Ballerini tested positive for COVID-19 and had to reconfigure her hosting duties so that she could appear virtually from home.