Last year’s Kenny Chesney concert at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis attracted 52,000 fans but many of them had trouble making out the words to the songs because of poor acoustics. After receiving numerous complaints both Chesney and the venue are working to improve the acoustics for this year’s September 19th show.

Ed Wannebo, production manager for Chesney’s shows since 2003, took a break from this summer’s tour to visit Lucas Oil Stadium, which he assessed as one of the most challenging listening rooms in America.

“The goal is to minimize the exposed reflective surface,” Wannebo said. “Make the room as small as possible and soften it as much as possible.”

The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority will spend $200,000 on wall treatments to minimize echoes during the event. Drapes will cover large windows on the northeast and southwest ends of the building to achieve the same objective.

Stadium director Mike Fox said the Capital Improvement Board, under scrutiny for a projected $47 million deficit, won’t pay for any part of the bill.

“The (building authority) always had money in the budget to address acoustical issues, once we identified them,” said John Klipsch, executive director of the building authority. “We knew we wouldn’t identify them until after the building opened and a concert played here.”

Get tickets for Chesney’s Indianapolis show along with other shows on the tour here.