Elton John has had an extensive world tour underway since last year (following a hugely popular and periodic residency in Las Vegas with The Million Dollar Piano, which I reviewed in 2012). Playing Denver tonight, shows in Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, San Jose, and a pair of back-to-back concerts in Los Angeles will bring the U.S. tour to an end. In addition to many Top 40 hits, he will also be performing songs from his latest release, The Diving Board. [Read more…]
British soul singer-songwriter Sam Smith, who’s debut studio album In the Lonely Hour debuted in June, has launched a tour of North America this week, with a little over a dozen headlining shows and key appearances at Austin City Limits in October. The young artist has quickly found international success on the charts, and most shows coming up are long sold out. [Read more…]
Erasure’s duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell have had a busy 2014, with their 16th studio album, The Violet Flame, coming out next week, on the heels of their successful PledgeMusic efforts. 2014 also will feature their biggest world tour in years, playing dates all over the U.S., UK, and Europe, with a set of shows at the end of December ringing in 2015 at Terminal 5 in New York. There is one week left to pre-order the album (with special packages) via PledgeMusic, and tickets for all shows are currently on sale. [Read more…]
Daryl Hall & John Oates, currently in the midst of a Summer U.S. tour, will be coming to the west coast next month, playing Saratoga, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. The Philly duo hit makers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year (already recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame); each also have new solo work out in 2014 (John Oates’ A Good Road To Follow and Daryl Hall’s Laughing Down Crying). They put on one of the best live shows today, so it is most definitely worth turning out to one of their concerts if you have the chance. [Read more…]
Better Than Ezra, the alternative rock band from New Orleans, will be kicking off a new U.S. tour this week, promoting All Together Now, their first new studio album in five years, which was released last week. Singer-guitarist Kevin Griffin was been busy in the past few years as a professional songwriter for other artists, but has freed up time for the new album and tour.
Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith’s English New Wave band Tears for Fears will be playing a select number of concert dates in the U.S. this month, which has caused quite a buzz among fans and anyone with a fondness for their many hit songs. They celebrated the 30th anniversary of their classic album, The Hurting, last year, and also recorded a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready To Start”. Tears for Fears will be kicking off this tour in Austin next week, following by a show in Oklahoma, a pair of shows in California (Northern and Southern), and a three-night showing at Project Pabst in Portland. Rock Subculture Journal last reviewed Tears for Fears back in 2012. [Read more…]
New York City’s Interpol is set to kick off an extensive world tour in their home city, playing U.S. dates through the end of November, then touring abroad. Their fifth studio album, El Pintor, is due September 9th, but you can preview the full album right now over at NPR via their First Listen. [Read more…]
The Scottish synthpop group Chvrches is bringing their world tour to the United States in September, playing dates throughout into October. Their debut studio album, The Bones of What You Believe, came out late last year and their newest work, Recover EP, in 2014. [Read more…]
WorldOne Presents is bringing another fantastic line-up of 80s R&B icons to the Greater Sacramento Region at Thunder Valley Casino Resort on September 13th. The Big Block Party will feature Morris Day & The Time, Guy, Sheila E., and Doug E. Fresh. [Read more…]
Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, who have been active touring in 2014, will be playing a number of dates all over the United States through the end of the year. In September, they will be playing a few shows in California (including Mountain Winery in Saratoga, Jackson Rancheria, the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, and the Los Angeles County Fair) and the Pacific Northwest (The Showbox in Seattle, Edgefield in Troutdale, and the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, OR). [Read more…]