Saturday, February 4, 2017

Summer Concert Season Is Heating Up This Winter



It may be winter according to the calendar and the weather, but judging by all the ticket sales announcements, it is definitely time for summer! The major festivals have announced their lineups, the major acts have announced their tours, and the tickets have gone on sale. So what tours are the best ones to check out this summer? Let’s take a walk through some of the upcoming summer tours and find out.  

Billy Joel
Technically it’s not a tour. Billy Joel will continue his residency at Madison Square Garden giving his monthly performance that constantly sells out. When he started this residency, Joel stated that he would perform a monthly show as long as the tickets sell. Well, sell they have. All of his performances at the Garden have sold out, although there are a smattering of seats left for the May and June shows as of this writing. He is bound to add July and August dates, so if you plan to visit NYC this summer, this is a show worth checking out.

Ticket Prices: $66 - $129
Tour Dates: June, July, August (1 show per month, July and August have yet to be confirmed)

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
While The Dave Matthews Band announced a hiatus for this year, that apparently doesn’t apply to Dave Matthews himself. He and Tim Reynolds are heading out for a full blown Dave and Tim tour. The Dave and Tim tour is just that---Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds on stage each with an acoustic guitar playing a multitude of songs. A lot of songs from Dave’s solo album are played during these shows. Tim Reynolds also gets to perform a couple of instrumentals. And while I’ve seen the Dave Matthews Band live 20 times, I’ve never seen Dave and Tim. That’s going to change this summer.

Ticket Prices: $50 - $100
Tour Dates: May 3rd – June 17th

Def Leppard, Poison, Tesla
Most fans thought they would never see Poison live again after their last tour. There was a lot of band fighting, Bret Michaels went solo for a couple of years, and the band members didn’t speak to each other. It was pretty evident that the band was done and their performances would only live on in our memories and on the internet. Then Def Leppard announced they were touring again and bringing Poison out on the road with them. Since they are the middle act (Tesla opens the night) I imagine they will have a limited set, but they should perform for almost an hour. And then Def Leppard comes out to close out the night. Tesla, Poison, and Def Leppard. It’s an 80s metal head dream line up!

Ticket Prices: $28 - $138
Tour Dates: April 8th – June 25th

Iron Maiden
Up the irons! Iron Maiden is returning to the United States this summer in continued support of their latest masterpiece, The Book Of Souls. If you have never seen the band in concert, I urge you to do so. Iron Maiden is one of the best live bands I’ve ever witnessed and their 2008 concert at the IZOD center (LINK) will most likely be in my top 10 concerts of all time (if I ever get around to writing that post). Their showmanship, dedication to their craft, and overall awesomeness of their music practically makes them a must see.

Ticket Prices: $40 - $125
Tour Dates: June 3rd – July 21st

Queen with Adam Lambert
Queen has toured with Adam Lambert before and from what I’ve heard the shows were spectacular. Not many performers can hit the range of Freddy Mercury, but Lambert can and does from what I’ve heard. This summer they will be back on tour again playing arenas all over the U.S. And while John Deacon will not be on tour with the band (due to his retirement), Brian May and Roger Taylor will be. This is the first time the three have toured together since 2014. On their last tour they played nothing but the mega-hits of Queen and there is no reason to expect anything different this time around.

Ticket Prices: $50 - $175
Tour Dates: June 23rd – August 5th

Train with O.A.R.
Train has a new album out and it’s pretty good. (LINK) This summer they will be on tour supporting their latest record and they are bringing two well-known acts with them to get the night started. Natasha Bedingfeld and O.A.R. will be the opening acts for Train. The tour consists of mostly amphitheaters and tickets are reasonably priced for an actual seat. Lawn seats are dirt cheap, but you know, you’d have to be on the lawn. I’ve never seen Train live, but I know how great O.A.R. is in concert. This could definitely be a show worth checking out this summer.

Ticket Prices: $33 - $80
Tour Dates: May 12th – July 15th

U2
U2 will be embarking on a stadium tour this summer, but they aren’t going out on just any old tour. This summer the band will be performing their signature album The Joshua Tree in its entirety. It will be their first tour in two years, and their first stadium tour in six years. And while I do enjoy seeing the band in an arena setting, they can also perform stadiums with the best of them. Tickets for most shows have already sold out, but depending on where you live, there are tickets available for the second night on the 2 night stands.

Ticket Prices: $35 - $280
Tour Dates: May 12th – Aug 1st

What concerts are you looking forward to this summer?

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