Messina Touring Group/AEG Live

Having seen the potential in a tall, cool Texan named George Strait—and parlaying his traditional country appeal and role as seminal influence into a stadium celebration—Messina became the go-to guy for acts wanting to become stadium-sized headliners. His Messina Touring Group took eight-time ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney into Foxboro, Mass.’s Gillette Stadium, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field and D.C.’s Fed Ex Field in 2005, never looking back—and hitting 135 stadium shows by the end of Chesney’s 2016 Spread the Love Tour. Messina has also turned Taylor Swift into a global stadium act, grown Ed Sheeran into a touring force to be reckoned with and made Eric Church stadium-ready, as well as pivoting Strait from his SRO Cowboy Rides Away Tour into a residency in Las Vegas. Working with a select group of acts the veteran promoter believes can go the distance, Messina has a keen eye for talent that can transcend the traditional concert dynamic. Based in Austin, the veteran promoter is on track for his biggest year ever, and in 2017 will see Chesney hit the billion-dollar mark, with some of the concert industry’s most reasonable ticket prices.

With all the touring options out there—festivals, sheds, sponsored runs like CMT’s Women of Country, radio shows and fighting it out on your own—what’s the best way to develop these artists’ careers for the long haul? It’s not one size fits all, but what are the indicators for the best path?

The most important element in developing touring careers is the music—great music and an original voice—as well as connecting with fans in an authentic way and style.

Who are three acts we should be paying attention to from a live standpoint, and why?

The next big superstar to play stadiums will be Eric Church, but I’m paying attention to Jake Owen, Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett.

Once again, country acts are out on the road year after year after year, while rock and pop acts often go years between touring. How do the country acts sustain that level of demand? And as country becomes more pop, will that change?

Country touring will burn out if it keeps up, just out of oversaturation. I brought the rock & roll mentality to Nashville, had George Strait and Kenny Chesney playing stadiums. It’s hard to pass up the Benjamins, but if you want to be around for a long time, you have to learn to say no to the big offers.