Category: Concert Announcements

We’ve had a Traveling Wilbury in Tampa every year since 2013. 2014 and 2017 had Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 2013, 2015, 2016, and this year had Bob Dylan. And in under a month, a hologram of Roy Orbison will be here.

George Harrison never stopped in Tampa in his life, solo or as a Beatle. Jeff Lynne, on the other hand? Hasn’t been around here since 1976.

You may worry that you’ll never get to see the recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer in your life. Well, worry no more. Following their first US tour in 35 years a few months back, Jeff Lynne’s ELO announced today that they’re coming back next summer to play mainly places they missed. Tampa’s Amalie Arena, and Sunrise, are on the list.

Tickets for the July 7, 2019 show go on sale next Monday, and start at $45.75.

With hits such as Don’t Bring Me Down, and Mr. Blue Sky, Electric Light Orchestra is especially known for their breathtaking theatrics, with a UFO currently serving as the band’s main icon. This is a once-in-a-lifetime show, and one of the many big names from the 70s that haven’t stopped here in forever that are making a change.

The only other ones I can think of are Queen, Peter Gabriel, and David Gilmour, but for now, be prepared, as the producer of Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever, is about to blow us away.

 

How many musicians have a Nobel Prize? The answer, my friend, is one. That’s right. Even John Lennon doesn’t have one. In 2016, right before his last stop here, legendary songwriter Bob Dylan was announced to be a recipient of the prize at the next ceremony.

One of the two surviving members of supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, Dylan has been on the road nonstop his entire life, and began his Never Ending Tour in the late 90s. He’s also the only man that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers agreed to open for, and evidently, back up as a band, after they got big. These days, however, you won’t hear many Dylan hits.

But that’s okay. You still have the chance to be in his presence on October 20 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Tickets start at $72.75, and go on sale this weekend.

He still puts out new albums every year since 2015, including last year’s three disc album, properly titled Triplicate. But here’s the thing: They’re not full of new original material. It’s all covers. And he manages to make his shows at least three-quarters full of covers. Of course he plays some of his music… Blowin’ in the Wind, Tangled Up In Blue, Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright…but you won’t hear Like A Rolling Stone or The Times They Are A-Changin’. But he’s Bob effing Dylan, and no one should be complaining.

Side note: Knowing Dylan, there will probably not be any photography allowed. Seriously. He has these guys in red jackets patrol the venue before and during the show.

Six years ago, Ed Sheeran was opening for one of the most successful Indie-alt groups of mainly the last decade. He had just released his first album +, so many show-goers were not only there for the closing act. Now, the roles are reversed. If you’re going to one of Ed’s 2018 stadium shows and have been anxiously pondering who his opening acts will be, light up, as if you have a choice.

Last time around, it was You’re Beautiful crooner James Blunt. Now, we’re totally switching gears.

Irish rockers Snow Patrol, who for a limited time opened for U2 on their two-year 360 Tour, the best-selling tour in history, will open for Teddy during his US dates this year. And one of the tour’s final stops is in Tampa. The last time the guys were in Florida was in 2012…when Ed was opening for them. Also on the bill with them will be American singer-songwriter Lauv, who has opened for Ed in recent years.

The indie group, who has recorded hits such as Chasing Cars, Run, and Chocolate, released their first album in seven years, Wildness, on May 25. According to mega fan Brendan Boatright, it’s a very deep and personal album that really explores lead singer Gary Lightbody’s struggles in life, which include alcoholism and his father’s diagnosis with dementia.

The tour stops in Tampa on November 7 at Raymond James Stadium. Limited seats remain, so get your tickets now, before Snow Patrol fans get them to sell out!

Beach Boy Brian Wilson announced today that due to back surgery that he is having within the coming days, he will have to postpone all of his May shows. One of those shows included a Pet Sounds: The Final Performances concert at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall on the 18th.

While yes, this is a bummer, health should always come before anything. The last thing I, personally, want is for my favorite composer to go through what my favorite heartland rocker went through. Tom Petty had a broken hip when I saw him almost exactly a year ago, and he died five months later. So, kudos to Brian for taking time off the road to get the help he needs.

Here’s the scoop: Lindsey Buckingham isn’t in Fleetwood Mac anymore. He got fired because of issues with the touring schedule. Within hours, it was announced that musician Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, one of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, would replace him.

Today, they announced a massive US tour, going into next year.

On February 18, 2019, Stevie Nicks, Christine and John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood, along with the two mentioned before, will rock Amalie Arena. Tickets go on sale next Friday, May 4, and pricing starts at at $69.50.

Of course, Fleetwood Mac, as many know, is one of, if not, THE most dysfunctional family in rock and roll. But even though it won’t be the same without Buckingham, if getting a Heartbreaker and Neil Finn won’t break the chain, that’s that.

A month ago, I reported that Paul Simon, one of the most respected songwriters in history, would be starting his farewell tour, and would be snubbing the east coast for the most part. But he’s had a change of heart.

Last time he was in the area, it was at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall. Now, he’s going bigger.

The songwriter half of Simon & Garfunkel will bring Homeward Bound: The Farewell Tour to Amalie Arena on Friday, September 7, 2018. Tickets go on sale March 16, and will start at $50.00. Last time Paul was at Amalie was in 2003 on his reunion tour with Art Garfunkel. And if this is anything like his sold-out show at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre last year, this is not a show you are going to want to miss.

Ironically, it was this week last year, except a day off, when he announced the St. Augustine date last year. Tickets for that one sold out almost immediately, so act now!

John Fogerty has written some of the most prolific songs in history. Along with Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fogerty topped the charts in the 60s with hits such as Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary, and Who’ll Stop The Rain. He’s been playing primarily Vegas shows lately, so it’s been awhile since he toured.

Unlike CCR, ZZ Top still sticks together after all these years as well. Billy Gibbons had to take some time off the road due to health issues recently, but he’s back with them again. They’re in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and their induction was far less controversial than CCR’s.

Today, a massive tour featuring both names was announced, entitled the Blues And Bayous tour. And one of its stops will be at Clearwater’s Coachman Park on June 2. Tickets go onsale this Friday, and will start at $40 for general admission seats. The show has not officially been announced by Ruth Eckerd Hall yet, but the site says that a third artist will be added at a later date.

Fogerty’s last time in the Bay area was at the Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in 2015 on the 1969 Tour, and ZZ Top’s was at Ruth Eckerd Hall in November of 2016. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, not going to be a show to miss.

Paul Simon’s been at it for over 60 years. Ever since his days as a part of Tom & Jerry, he’s been recognized as one of the greatest songwriters in history, with and without Art Garfunkel. He recorded the African inspired Graceland, toured as a closer for Brian Wilson, worked with hundreds of gifted musicians, and has been twice inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

In 2016, he contemplated retirement, by saying that “showbiz holds no interest” to him anymore. But following the announcement that a new album of revamped deep cuts was in the works, and a successful US tour last June, it felt like he may never stop.

The news came Monday morning.

“I’ve often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I’d consider bringing my performing career to a natural end,” he began in a statement. “I think about music constantly.”

Following the announcement last week of a “farewell performance” in England over the summer, Paul Simon has announced Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour will be his final tour, with the exception of “the occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall.” As of right now, there are 20 dates on the tour, 2 of which will occur at the Hollywood Bowl, and Florida is not on the list.
Hopefully, some extra dates will be added before Simon heads to the U.K. for his final performances, as there is almost a half month gap in between.

Here are the dates:

May 16 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

May 18 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena

May 19 – Portland, OR @ MODA Center

May 22 & 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

May 25 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena

May 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena

May 30 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green

June 1 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena

June 2 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center

June 4 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center

June 6 – Chicago, IL @ United Center

June 8 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

June 10 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Center

June 12 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

June 13 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre

June 15 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden

June 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

June 19 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum

June 20 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena

This is your shot, and you can’t throw it away. It’ll be nearly impossible to get a ticket, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not gonna try.

Tampa has at least one really big, groundbreaking event for the last few years. 2016 had Beyoncé. 2017 had Paul McCartney. 2018 will have Taylor Swift and Elton John. And one of 2019’s has just been announced.

The touring edition of Hamilton, the legendary Broadway musical conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda is finally making a stop at Tampa’s Straz Center For The Performing Arts. Or, actually to be more specific, 28 stops. The dates are February 12 through March 10. Almost an entire month.

They know for a fact that this show’s bound to sell out faster than Elton John did this past week, who sold out during the presale. The Straz also stated that right now, the only way to guarantee tickets to it is to buy the 2018-19 Broadway season subscription. No on-sale dates, ticket prices, or additional information have been revealed, but I’ll keep you informed as more info comes out.

Yep, you read that right.

The Yardbird guitar legend has been on the road for a good chunk of his life, including tours with ZZ Top and The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. Bad Company’s frontman Paul Rodgers has been touring with the group, as well as a brief run as lead singer of Queen, billed as Queen + Paul Rodgers. And Ann Wilson, half of Heart, toured intimate venues last year. This was because she is in the middle of a nasty band split with her sister Nancy. She says that they hope to finally make up sometime soon, but both seem to be enjoying their solo projects greatly.

But anyway, two Hall Of Famers in one night, one of which inducted twice? That’s right, even though Bad Company should have been inducted years ago.

The Stars Align tour, which will feature Beck and Rodgers onstage together, with Wilson opening, will play the last date of their tour at the Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Sunday, August 26, 2018. Tickets go on sale this Friday, and start at a whopping $15.

This is not a show you are going to want to miss. If there’s ever been a better offer than seeing two Hall of Famers and a guy that temporarily sang in place of Freddie Mercury in one night, it was a long time ago. Back when you could see Led Zeppelin for like $5.