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"Everything's plugging at the right time," he told The Boot and other reporters at a recent media event. "There's a lot that goes into that. There's a lot of stuff behind the scenes that people never see, especially with a tour like this. Doing phone (interviews) with everybody and giving content to people at local TV ... It's a bunch of little things that come together and make that stuff happen. It feels really good to be able to say, 'We sold out Joe's Pub (in Chicago). We sold out the Ryman in Nashville.' It's always a hard thing coming in to Nashville and playing these shows anyway. People don't show up and buy tickets."
The Tennessee native, who got his start by winning the reality TV talent show, "Nashville Star" in 2006, climbed up the ranks by opening shows for several artists, including Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert. While Chris is now thrilled to be the one calling the shots, he says he took plenty of lessons from his former tour bosses.
"Everybody that I've been out on tour with, whether it was Blake [Shelton], Rascal Flatts, I've picked up little things here and there -- 'Yeah, I want to do that. No, I don't want to do this'," he explains. "Whether it's ideas I have about lighting ... or I always have enjoyed seeing people who have a breakdown in their show and do something that's a little more acoustic. We've added that for this Liquid Neon tour. I really have picked up a lot from watching them on those tours with other acts that have been doing it at that level a lot longer than me."
The Liquid Neon tour, which includes Thomas Rhett and Joanna Smith, will follow the Nashville opener with stops in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Keep track of Chris' concert schedule here, and look for him in even bigger venues in years to come.
"It feels like I'm in a really good spot," says the singer. "I'm just ready for what's going to be next year and beyond that, and hopefully grow in this so somewhere down the road we get to sell out bigger and better venues."
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