New York, NY (Top40 Charts) After 45 years since their first performance, over 20 million albums sold and countless accolades amongst them, there can be no doubt as to why The
B-52s have remained one of music's most groundbreaking and beloved bands. Now, The
B-52s are gearing up to return to the road one last time and are announcing a farewell tour that will kick off this summer.
Their North American farewell tour will visit 11 cities across the U.S., kicking off August 22th in Seattle at the breathtaking McCaw Hall - Brotman Auditorium and running through November 11 climaxing at Atlanta's legendary Fox Theatre. More shows will be added in the coming weeks (please see full current routing below).
The pre-sale for The
B-52s Farewell Tour launches tomorrow, April 27th at 12:00 PM EST. Tickets officially go on sale this Friday, April 29th at 12:00 PM EST. KC and The
Sunshine Band and The Tubes are set to make special guest appearances on select dates.
Tickets, information and exclusive VIP Meet & Greet packages will be available at The B-52s.com
In addition, to kick off their farewell tour, The
B-52s will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Wednesday, April 27th. MRC Films and Fulwell 73 have announced the long awaited film documentary on the iconic band will be released in early 2023.
Directed by
Craig Johnson (Skeleton Twins; Wilson; Alex Strangelove) and executively produced by Fred Armisen, the film will trace the incredible journey and influence of the band. The film has also been given generous support of all band members including many personal archival photos and films that have never been released.
Says co-founder Kate Pierson, "Who knew what started as a way to have some fun and play music for our friends' at house parties in Athens in 1977 would evolve into over 45 years of making music and touring the world. It's been cosmic."
Cindy Wilson, who also co-founded the band with her beloved late brother, Ricky, adds, "It has been a wild ride, that's for sure. We feel truly blessed to have had an amazing career encouraging folks to dance, sing along with us and feel they can be whomever they are with our music."
Fred Schneider, co-founder and perhaps the most unique front man in rock, sums up the band's decision to retire from the road, "No one likes to throw a party more than we do, but after almost a half-century on the road, it's time for one last blow-out with our friends and family...our fans. And with KC & The
Sunshine Band and The Tubes on board, it's going to be one hell of a farewell party at these concerts."
Tour Dates:
August 22nd - Seattle, WA - - McCaw Hall*
September 29th - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Casino**
September 30th - Boston, MA - - MGM
Music Hall**
October 1st - Washington, DC - The Anthem**
October 7th - Chicago, IL - -
Chicago Theatre**
October 13th - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre**
October 14th - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre**
October 15th - Atlantic City, NJ - Ovation Hall - Ocean Casino**
October 19th - Las Vegas, NV - The Venetian Theatre
October 21st - Las Vegas, NV - The Venetian Theatre
October 22nd - Las Vegas, NV - The Venetian Theatre
October 28th - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic Auditorium*
October 29th - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic Auditorium*
November 4th - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube Theater**
November 11th - Atlanta, GA - - The Fox Theatre**
*with Special Guests The Tubes
**with Special Guests KC & The
Sunshine Band
It is well known that The
B-52s are The World's Greatest Party Band. Nearly 40 years and over 20 million albums into their career, there can be no doubt as to why they remain one of rock music's most beloved and enduring bands.
Any mystery concerning the band's longevity and ongoing appeal is immediately solved when exposed to a
B-52s concert experience. From groundbreaking songs like "Rock Lobster," "Dance This Mess Around," "Private Idaho," "Roam" and "Deadbeat Club" to chart-topping hits like "Love Shack," to their thrilling reemergence on the pop scene with their 2008 CD Funplex, which bowed at #11 on the Top 200. The B-52s' unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time their music begins.
Formed on an October night in 1976 following drinks at an Athens, GA, Chinese restaurant, the band played their first gig at a friend's house on Valentine's Day 1977. Naming themselves after Southern slang for exaggerated 'bouffant' hairdos, the newly-christened
B-52s (Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson and Ricky Wilson) began weekend road trips to New York City for gigs at CBGB's and a handful of other venues.
Before long, their thrift store aesthetic and genre-defying songs were the talk of the post-punk underground. A record deal soon followed and their self-titled debut disc, produced by Chris Blackwell, sold more than 500,000 copies on the strength of their first singles, the garage rock party classic "Rock Lobster," and "52 Girls."
The album placed at #152 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and #99 on VH1's "Greatest Albums of All Time." The
B-52s began to attract fans far beyond the punk clubs of the Lower East Side - galvanizing the pop world with their 'stream-of-consciousness' approach to songwriting and outrageous performance. They had clearly tapped into a growing audience for new music that was much larger than anyone could have anticipated.
