REO Speedwagon has been touring for over 55 years, but at the end of this year, they are no longer going to take it on the run.
Late last year, guitarist Bruce Hall had to take medical leave to undergo back surgery and recuperate.
I guess he was ready to rejoin the band on that road, but instead, they made a shocking announcement:
To our fans: Bruce has intended to be Back On the Road Again by now. If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to just him. The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect. Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that Matt has been around to keep the Wagon rolling through the summer tour. Bruce never had any intention of retiring or walking away from the band, fans, and crew he has loved for almost 50 years.
For Kevin’s [Cronin] part, he too has never had any intention of leaving the band, and the fans and crew mean the world to him, as well.
Due to this complex situation, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin. So, it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025. Neal, Kevin, and Bruce thank their fans for all their years of loyal support and for giving back to the band such wonderful memories that will remain with each of them forever.
When Hall saw that statement online, he made his own:
Hey Everyone,
Never ever thought it would end like this and I’m heartbroken. Please know Neal [Doughty] and I did everything in our power to try and keep the Wagon rolling. I am so appreciative of ALL the amazing love & support. You guys have been very vocal and clear in your wishes for me to return to the stage. Trust me…that’s all I wanted too. We all deserved a farewell tour.
For the record, I wanted REO Speedwagon to continue to tour with the lineup of Kevin, myself, Dave [Amato], Bryan [Hitt] and Derek [Hilland]. Just as it was prior to my necessary, planned and successful back surgery.
I love and will miss you all,
Bruce
I am assuming that they couldn’t keep the fire burnin’ and roll with changes, so the bandmates can’t keep on loving each other in a tour bus.
It is a sad day in Rock’n’Roll as they let the singer live out the lyrics to Time For Me To Fly. BTW I don’t know the songs, so I don’t know if he is really living out the lyrics. But he is living the title. So there is that.
Lauryn Hill and the Fugees were supposed to hit the road on August 9th in Tampa, but they cancelled the North American leg of it yesterday. However, they did not say why. Today, the singer explained why the show will not go on.
With difficulty the decision was made to pull down our upcoming North American tour dates.
The shows in the UK and Europe ARE MOVING FORWARD as planned.
Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows.
Regrettably, some media outlet’s penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour. The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.
The audiences in the UK and Europe not only haven’t seen the Miseducation Anniversary performance yet, they also haven’t seen the Fugees perform together in over 25 years!
Performing for my fans, is a profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time. Every show is a piece of my expression and testament to our connection and shared love for music. I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am.
Know that I am not only grateful for those who appreciate and support my art, but that I FIGHT and push through all kinds of resistance to put together experiences that mean something for all of us. I love being able to bring these performances to you!
I appreciate your understanding. We’re looking forward to performing at the shows in the UK and Europe
in October – and for our fans in North America, when these unforeseen circumstances are resolved, we’ll be back in full force…
With Love, Respect and Honesty, MLH
Hill cancelled several tours last year due to a vocal injury.
Did you have tickets to The Miseducation Anniversary Tour?
We want to see all of you come out in your best yellow dresses for this tour! Don’t have a yellow dress? Don’t worry! Come dressed in your favorite yellow shirt, pants, sunglasses, whatever you got. Looking forward to a sea of… pic.twitter.com/ixbkXScsdH
Train is hitting the road on July 8th, and they have a dress code for their concerts.
“This might be the look of the summer, seriously,” the band wrote. “We want to see all of you come out in your best yellow dresses for this tour! Don’t have a yellow dress? Don’t worry! Come dressed in your favorite yellow shirt, pants, sunglasses, whatever you got. Looking forward to a sea of yellow out there ☀️ ”
Why do they want you to wear yellow dresses as compared to yellow polka dot bikinis? That is because their latest single is Long Yellow Dress.
And can we all agree that Pat Monahan looks so hot in a Long Yellow Dress? I hope he wears yellow dresses throughout the tour.
If any of you go to see Train, can you send me photos of all of the sunshine?
This is a sad time for music. So many greats are retiring from the road, like Neil Diamond, Aerosmith, KISS, and Elton John, to name a few.
Today we learned there is one more name we can add to the list, and it is The Eagles.
The band posted this statement: “The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds. Credit and thanks go to our longtime management team, our dedicated road crew, and our exceptional backup musicians for providing skilled and steadfast support, throughout these many years. We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle. The official farewell tour is currently in the planning stages. We want to give all our fans a chance to see us on this final round. So, scheduling information will be released as dates are set. The difficulties of booking venues for multiple nights may require us to return to certain cities, depending on demand. But, we hope to see as many of you as we can, before we finish up. Most importantly, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing this band and its music. At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”
The members going on tour for the final round are Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey. Original member Glenn Frye passed away in 2016.
Pre-sale and VIP tickets go on sale on July 12th, and then the rest will be available on the 14th.
Gareth Moulton might perform (I Just) Died in Your Arms with Cutting Crew, but he doesn’t want his fans to sing that to their loved ones. As in getting COVID-19 because they saw him perform live.
Therefore, yesterday he played a show in Wootton Village Hall to an audience who was “painstakingly distanced.” Now that we know it can be done, as he says, “THERE IS HOPE! 👍❤️”
Plus, the best part is that the soldold crowd got a really intimate show. Much more intimate than if they were all on top of each other like the concerts he used to play all the way back on March 8th.
Would you go to a live music show like that? I totally would Wang Chang to that.
