Kenny Chesney fans pack Pittsburgh concert

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — People tailgated for hours ahead of Kenny Chesney’s concert in Pittsburgh on Saturday, on both land and sea.

It might as well have been a high school reunion for Mackenzie McNally.

“You just get to see them and you get to drink and have fun,” McNally said.

Even after tailgating at numerous Chesney concerts, she’s never actually made it inside, until now.

“I’ve been excited for this my whole life,” McNally said.

That was an experience shared by a lot of people. Rather than tailgate, some people were in boats on the river. Some called it “sailgating” while others called it “boatgating.” They told KDKA-TV that you can hear the concert from the boats.

“What’s better than being on a boat for a Kenny Chesney concert,” Edgar Parrilla II said. “I have a boat full of 15 people. We’re all partying, and we’re all listening to music.”

He explained the last time he tailgated a Chesney concert in Pittsburgh, people were burning couches, something he said made him want to come back.

Asked if it was that rowdy on Saturday, he said only in a few specific lots.

“It was really crazy, but we were having a good time. There was nothing too out of pocket,” concertgoer Alice said. 

She did note how bathroom lines were long, while a friend of hers said there was a bonfire. Others had an even more positive experience. 

“It’s been a good time here. Everything is getting better with crime and hostility,” said Julia Genuardi, who said the tailgate experience was better this year than the last time she attended.

Genuardi noticed people cleaning up after themselves and others on Saturday. There was a significant amount of trash left in the lots during the concert, but a street sweeper vehicle was going around the lots picking up trash.

“It feels like everyone has really come together and realized, why are we gonna be rowdy and rude? Let’s be nice and have fun,” Genuardi said. 

Chesney took the stage at around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday.