Kenny Chesney rocks stages with Jerry Harvey Audio

Country superstar Kenny Chesney has been a fixture of the stage and charts since his debut in 1994. His enduring popularity and versatility as a performer have seen the singer performing to larger and larger audiences over the course of a long and successful career, which has required his audio team to develop a flexible strategy for consistent live monitoring that can adapt to anywhere from the smallest clubs to the Sphere.

To provide the singer and his band with everything they need to give a top-quality performance in any size of venue, audio engineers Phil “SidePhill” Robinson and Bryan “Opie” Baxley have built a versatile, high-performing monitoring setup around JH Audio Layla and Roxanne IEMs.

SidePhill and Opie developed their team approach through years of collaboration and experimentation to provide Chesney and his band with the best possible monitoring solutions. SidePhill began working with Chesney in 2001 as overall monitor engineer, before switching over to strictly Chesney in 2009 after he and Opie began using separate consoles.

The consistent move to arenas and sports stadiums codified their methodology. “Once we began playing stadiums on a regular basis and had a stage with a large thrust into the audience it became clear that we needed separate monitoring for Kenny and the band” explains SidePhill. “I do monitor mixes for Kenny and any stage guests, while Opie focuses his efforts on mixing the band. Together, we’re able to ensure that everyone gets what they need to perform at their best.”

“Isolation and fidelity are the most important things to master when it comes to running a show that can operate in any size of venue,” Opie adds. “SidePhill got everyone on IEMs when he first started, and JH Audio Audio has been the only brand we’ve used since 2007.”

SidePhill has a long-standing relationship with Harvey dating back decades that has given him a front-row seat to the development and evolution of the company’s IEM designs. This technological progression has manifested in his choice and implementation of the brand’s IEMs over the past few decades.

“I have looked into and listened to a lot of the IEM companies throughout the years, and none of them have been able to provide the sound and feel that JH Audio does,” he says. “The fact that they are nearby and accessible plays a big part too – they are always willing to work with us on any challenges we run into, and our approach has evolved as we’ve worked more closely with them and adopted the newer models.”

“JH has always been willing to find ways to improve the experience on stage, and our current IEM setup built around them is the best it’s ever been.”

Chesney has been using JH Audio Laylas as his IEM of choice since 2018. He has also been customised by JH Audio for use with a two-pin cable for ease of performance.

“The Layla’s offer the best reproduction of Kenny’s vocals for his purposes, and the level of isolation required that he could hear himself even if the crowd is screaming louder than the PA,” SidePhill states. “The ability of JH Audio to 3D Scan and print the ear case instead of mold ensures a better fit and it’s been thumbs up from Kenny since we got them. They keep the boss in tune, in time, and able to perform right in the middle of the crowd without worrying about hearing himself.”

“JH also customised his Laylas to take a two-pin cable to bring the weight down,” he adds. “This allows him more freedom to entertain the crowd in those venues and not be bogged down by equipment. Jerry’s team was very helpful in figuring out the best solution for this.”

On Opie’s side of things, he and the band use JH Audio Roxannes. Doing so has enabled him to provide a full fidelity mix without any compromise in sonic detail and separation. “When working with other bands on different brands, I often had to ‘dumb down’ the quality of the mix to achieve what they needed to do their job,” he explains. “The fidelity, and separation of frequencies that the Roxanne IEMs have are second to none which means that they are able to get the same great mix that I’m hearing.”

“Any changes that I need to make from the console are immediately heard, which guarantees that they can perform confidently knowing we’re all hearing things the same way.”

Going on nearly two decades together by Chesney’s side, Opie and SidePhill have an unshakable faith in the workflow they’ve built together, and the JH Audio gear that resides at the center of what they do.

“We’ve been using JH Audio for a long time and being able to start with something you know and trust, and hearing it evolve into what we have today has been a wonderful experience,” Opie says. “It makes a big impact on our day-to-day work and has satisfied every need we’ve had as we’ve had to develop for the variety of venues we find ourselves performing at.”

We’ve experienced great results with them over the years and confidently recommend them to anyone else looking for the best sound and feel in a set of IEMs,” SidePhill adds. “They’ve been a lifesaver and a necessary tool that enables us to perform at our best at every show, night after night.”

For more information about Kenny Chesney, please visit: https://www.kennychesney.com/