Chicago Cubs: Chris Stapleton to perform at Wrigley Field in August

Chris Stapleton is set to perform at the home of the Chicago Cubs in August and has the potential of being the best to ever perform at Wrigley Field.

A pretty large share of recent concerts to take place at Wrigley Field have been repetitive and unexciting – offering a pretty clear explanation as to why attendance at said events has been trending in the wrong direction for the Cubs organization.

That’s not to say there haven’t been some great shows at the Friendly Confines. Last year, my brother-in-law and myself took my wife to see Fall Out Boy (yes, I know to many of you, saying that’s a great act is ludicrous – deal with it). I’ve seen Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan play at Wrigley over the years, as well – so naturally, given my musical tastes, Chris Stapleton is at the top of the list.

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As part of his All American Road Show, Stapleton will play at Wrigley Field on Aug. 29, 2020 – bringing his vocal talents to one of the most storied stadiums in the country. The tour brings him to 46 of the 50 states – and as someone who’s seen him perform, I can tell you that you’re in for a treat.

I’ve never seen another vocalist – with the exception of Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie – showcase a range like Stapleton. He’s a powerhouse in country music today and a huge get for the Cubs when it comes to their concert lineup.

He joins the likes of Maroon 5, Green Day/Fall Out Boy/Weezer, Def Leppard/Motley Crue and Zac Brown Band as headliners at Wrigley in 2020 – a much improved lineup over what we saw in recent years.

But why am I talking about this besides the fact that I’m a huge country music fan? Because at the end of the day, these concerts have an impact on the financial well-being of the organization, as a whole.

In 2018, the Cubs made approximately $27 million in gross revenues from concerts at Wrigley Field. Last year, though, that number plummeted to a mere $8 million, according to the team’s neighborhood report. Given the team’s restricted baseball operations budget this year, any source of revenue is likely to be of interest to fans – regardless of the unlikelihood that concert revenue ends up on the field in the form of free agents.

Regardless of where the money goes, this year is shaping up to be one of the more impressive summers in terms of concerts at the Friendly Confines. We can only hope that the on-field product during the 81 home games will be just as high-quality.