When Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Radio launched in 2008, Chesney had already been a consistent Country hitmaker for more than a decade. He was one of the artists who helped propel the format through a late-’90s/early-’00s downturn that was finally ending with the addition of Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and other rock-inflected hitmakers. Chesney was also the act whose all-ages crowd defied typical Country-concert expectations.
Earlier this month, Chesney launched his own Hey Now Records, which in turn launched “Carry On” with adds from all 158 Mediabase County chart reporters in its first week under the label’s Kris Lamb and Brooke Diaz. At this writing, it moves 29*-26* after three weeks. (Hear it on our Country Songs of Summer playlist.)
No Shoes Radio has its own formidable history now. At its launch as a SiriusXM satellite-radio pop-up station, artist-driven channels were novel. So was the notion of a station that went beyond traditional format boundaries, although it was generally agreed that “all things beach” was a pretty easy one for listeners to figure out. ‘70s/Early ‘80s soft pop was not yet “yacht rock” to most people.
Chesney’s channel went from satellite radio to streaming and some of iHeart Radio’s HD-2 subchannels. In 2016, it returned to SXM as a permanent part of the lineup. At the time, that move confirmed SXM as the easiest way for a national format without a local FM signal to be found. That still seems to be the case, although when TikTok Radio recently moved from SXM to iHeart Radio, it cited distribution as the reason as well.
When Chesney returned to SXM, the service already had more than a dozen artist channels. A decade later, Life With John Mayer occupies prime real estate on channel 4, followed by Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, the Beatles, Bob Marley, and Bruce Springsteen in the 11-20 range. Among Country channels, No Shoes Radio is flanked by Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, and the rebranded Classic Country channel Willie’s Roadhouse. Artist channels are now SXM’s calling card in the way Howard Stern once was.
Programmer Jon Anthony says that a lot of recent programming on the channel has been in celebration of the tenth SXM anniversary. That includes specials focusing on tours, album releases, and SXM Town Hall appearances, as well as a live concert for SXM subscribers from Flora-Bama in April, which is also being repeated. After the celebration, the channel will resume its guest DJ series. Anthony also says that Chesney remains heavily involved, sometimes daily, and still serves (with Anthony) as “co-Music Director,” regularly sending song suggestions.
No Shoes Radio still steers clear of most contemporary Country, except for Chesney’s hits, relying heavily on reggae and the Jack Johnson-and-friends artists of the early/mid-’00s. At this writing, it’s playing Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” up against Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame” on his own channel, ZZ Top’s “Legs” (Underwood), and Treaty Oak Revival’s “In Between” (Wallen).
Some of Chesney’s songs, including “Carry On,” are preceded by “making of” vignettes. There are also observations from the road (there was one about missing the croaking of coqui frogs that signifies the sound of home) and from a boat headed for the British Virgin Islands (“if we don’t come back, come get us”). There were listener shoutouts, seemingly recorded at concerts. A sweeper declared, “On No Shoes Radio, it’s always summertime.”
Here’s No Shoes Radio at 7 a.m., May 27:
- Mr. Probz, “Waves”
- Cisco Adler & Donavon Frankenreiter, “Take Me Away”
- Kenny Chesney, “The Good Stuff”
- Sting & Shaggy, “Don’t Make Me Wait”
- Bob Marley & Wailers, “Stir It Up”
- Kenny Chesney, “How Forever Feels”
- U2, “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”
- Mac McAnally, “Simple Life”
- Kenny Chesney, “Fall in Love”
- Jack Johsnon, “If I Could”
- Hendrix Frankenreiter, “Within”
- Kenny Chesney, “Welcome to the Fishbowl (Live)” — 2013 song that declares “you don’t have to be famous to be a star”
- John Mayer, “Call Me the Breeze” — Meta moment of one SXM celebrity host playing on another’s channel
- Rebelution, “Feelin’ Alright”
- Kenny Chesney, “Da Ruba Girl”
- Billy Currington, “Anchor Man”
Surprisingly, the “Life with John Mayer” channel has become one of my favorite channels. You can leave it on all day with virtually no repeats. And the variety of music is pretty wide. When Bob Weir died, John had a tribute running within an hour on his channel that included Grateful Dead songs and John’s commentary. It sounded as if he was live. I think he can voicetrack from just about anywhere and have it go live quickly. I love that he is so active on his own channel.