After Raul Malo, The Mavericks Move Forward with New Tribute
It will be a long time before anyone is over the passing of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Raul Malo, if we ever will be. The frontman of The Mavericks and accomplished solo artist passed away in December of 2025 after a battle with Cancer, robbing the Earth of one of the greatest singing voices of any genre, and in any era.
Raul Malo’s voice and presence transcended genre and era, and was too much for any band to contain. But he humbly made The Mavericks the vessel for his music for the lion’s share of his career because he loved the camaraderie with his fellow bandmates, respected their musicianship, and didn’t need to have his name be the only one on the marquee.
When Malo passed, many wondered would it even be possible for The Mavericks to move forward in any capacity, or would that task be difficult to impossible without the presence of Raul? The ultimate answer in some respects is a combination of both.
On Tuesday (5-5), it was announced that The Mavericks will once again be going out on tour. But they’re not doing it in a new era moving on from Raul Malo. They’re doing it in tribute to Malo, and with the help of respected singers and performers James Otto and Emily West. Both filled in for Malo in front of The Mavericks at a set of tribute shows to Raul days before his passing in December of 2025.
“When we did our two tribute shows to Raul back in December at the Ryman Auditorium, James and Emily stole the show both nights,” says Mavericks keyboard player Jerry Dale, who along with guitarist Eddie Perez and drummer Paul Deakin make up the nucleus of the Mavericks band.
“It is with great joy that I join The Mavericks on tour this summer, alongside my longtime friend and powerhouse James Otto, honoring the incomparable Raul Malo and his timeless works of art. The music lives on,” Emily West says.
James Otto adds, “When I joined the band at The Ryman for a couple shows to honor Raul in December, I felt an undeniable musical chemistry but I never imagined it would turn into this opportunity. I’ve had friends in the band for over 20 years and have always loved and respected their music.”
Along with James Otto and Emily West, the new tour will also see the return of original band member Robert Reynolds who started out as the band’s bass player, and later moved to rhythm guitar. He left the band in 2014 due to substance abuse issues.
The Music Lives On Tour will hit 30 dates starting midsummer into the fall, with what they’re characterizing as their “first leg” of the tour. This will include stops in Missouri, Texas, the Northeast, Midwest, and Florida. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 8th at themavericksband.com/tour.
“I believe in my heart Raul would want the band and the music he spent a lifetime creating to play on,” James Otto says. “I’m really looking forward to playing all this incredible music and meeting all the fans out on tour. Viva Las Canciones de El Maestro.”Â
The Music Lives On Tour Dates
July 17 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads
July 18 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads
July 23 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
July 24 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
July 25 – Prior Lake, MN @ Mystic Lake Casino
July 31 – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre
August 1 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
August 2 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
August 6 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
August 7 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theatre
August 8 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
August 21 – Beverly, MA @ The Cabot
August 22 – Webster, MA @ Indian Ranch
August 27 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center
August 28 – Jim Thorpe, PA @ Penn’s Peak
August 29 – Lansdowne, PA @ Landsdowne Theater
August 30 – Hammondsport, NY @ Point of the Bluff Vineyard
September 10 – Orlando, FL @ Plaza Live
September 11 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Parker Playhouse
September 12 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
September 18 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
September 19 – Helotes, TX @ Floore’s Country Store
October 29 – Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Performing Arts Center
October 31 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
November 6 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
November 8 – Joliet, IL @ Rialto Square Theatre
November 12 – Shipshewana, IN @ Blue Gate Theatre
November 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
November 14 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
May 5, 2026 @ 6:21 pm
I was just thinking about him earlier today. I’d love to see some of this released as a live album at some point.
May 5, 2026 @ 6:25 pm
I went down and extremely deep Mavericks rabbit hole after his passing and watched a lot of live video on youtube. The band is absolutely incredible. There’s no replacing this generational talent but I’m glad the music will continue. It’s too good of a band to do anything but continue.
May 9, 2026 @ 12:04 am
Also for everybody repeating the “the Mavericks was only Raul” line-
-Many members of the band were around since almost the very beginning, which is a very long life span for a group of musicians.
-raul’s solo career did not sound like the Mavericks distinctive current sound
– the keyboard player, the drummer, the guitar player, are phenomenal musicians and the band would have suffered if any of those three were gone. A bunch of these folks were around from the earliest days
-Raul’s social media and media appearances always discussed every one of them as a we. Even when he did his initial announcement about cancer, he spoke about the band attempting to take care of their health while on the road, and set a number of other things…as a we.
Can’t think of another group of musicians where the front man was so careful to elevate his bandmates, so much. I’m sure they all discussed the band’s future before he passed. I am very glad to hear that they will keep going.
May 5, 2026 @ 6:54 pm
Raul Malo is irreplaceable. His was a once in a generation voice. There are very few vocalists that have the live ability that he had. I saw The Mavericks in Austin 6 years ago at The Moody Center. Our seats were in the balcony, maybe 6 rows ahead of the last row. He sounded amazing from there and I swear that I could feel that beautiful voice literally lift me from my seat by the chest when he sang How Can You Mend A Broken Heart a cappella. What an incredible experience that was.
May 5, 2026 @ 7:23 pm
Saw them half a dozen times. The takeaway was always joy. It was always joyous. Incredible band. Never had a bad time. Wish they were coming closer to me but I think this will be a bittersweet experience. Good for the band, though.
May 5, 2026 @ 7:36 pm
Malo cannot be replicated, but James Otto is a hell of a singer. I think he’ll do just fine in the role. Don’t know much about Emily West, curious to hear how she does. I might have to go see a show, even if my bucket list item to see a Malo-led Mavericks can no longer happen.
May 6, 2026 @ 6:24 am
With respect to Emily West, she had a Top 40 country hit with “Rocks In Your Shoes” in 2008, but her career failed to catch fire–at least at that time. However, she re-emerged on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2014 as something of a pop chanteuse, making an impression by performing, among other things, the Moody Blues’ FM-rock classic “Nights In White Satin”.
May 6, 2026 @ 6:29 am
My mistake–Emily actually appeared on “America’s Got Talent”.
May 5, 2026 @ 8:04 pm
Hey having an act that’s big enough to play the music hall circuit is something. I don’t blame the guys for trying. They’ll find out soon enough if it works and has staying power. I hope it’s not a pure tribute act and they add some new mateiral over time.
Heck, Randy Travis does the circuit and–as far as I know–he sings only one word: “Aaaaaaaymen.”
May 6, 2026 @ 3:31 am
Malo had one of the greatest voices I have ever heard. Incredible. I was and am greatly saddened by his death. James Otto can really sing but I am not sure I could go see them without Malo. I have varying emotions but it was a band with a great sound. I hope it works for them.
May 6, 2026 @ 4:06 am
My request is that they do Ventura Highway as they did in a video during the Covid shutdown, love their version. I agree with the comments above, and have to add they are my favorite live show period. From the first note to the last the audience is on their feet, no need for seats.
That said, Raul will be greatly missed, but better way to honor him than to keep his/their legacy going!
May 6, 2026 @ 5:32 am
Used to like some James Otto songs back in the days, glad to hear he’s still around. Must be hard to replace Malo’s voice.
May 6, 2026 @ 7:21 am
Money grab?
May 6, 2026 @ 9:05 am
You really think them playing *checks notes* theaters is a “money grab”?
There are plenty of examples of bands switching out their lineup to grab some cash – see these various 80’s rock bands still playing festivals with like 1 guy from the original lineup. But I don’t think the Mavericks were ever big enough (radio wise) to be a part of that group in anyway.
May 6, 2026 @ 12:10 pm
Its not The Mavericks without Raul Malo. Any fan of the band would realize that. If this were a one time tribute to Raul im sure some folks would be interested. This seems like they are ” testing the waters” to see if they can continue The Mavericks with a different singer. Of course the band members could use some money, the band was their primary income for years. So yeah, they are economically motivated to try this. Mavericks weren’t ever an arena act BTW.
May 6, 2026 @ 1:43 pm
When you say “money grab” it has a negative connotation that they are only doing this for the $$$.
I would be naive to believe that isn’t a factor, but I also don’t think it is the only one. This also allows them to keep the Mavericks musical legacy alive – lets be real, if you aren’t playing live it is easy to fade away and even hardcore fans might move on.
I don’t think anybody would say it is the same thing without Malo, but I also have no issue with them finding a new front man for this tour. Test it out – maybe things go well and we get new music from them. Maybe they decide “yeah, it aint’ the same” and move on.
Cash grabs in my mind are when bands/artists who have like 1 band member left in it are out there using the bands name to sell themselves at festivals and arenas. I just don’t really see this as being motivated primarily to make a buck.
May 6, 2026 @ 3:12 pm
I will go with tribute show tour as that’s how it’s being presented, in fairness. And as such that’s fine. Perhaps I am reading too much into it. Im not saying it ” is a money grab”, thus the reason I phrased it as a question. Clearly some here decisively conclude it is not.
May 6, 2026 @ 11:56 am
God forbid working musicians be gainfully employed, carrying on Raul’s music, and contributing to the welfare of his family.
May 6, 2026 @ 12:33 pm
Its not a condemnation. Observation. But the fact remains Raul Malo was the heart and soul of that band. Do you believe it’s viable to continue as The Mavericks without him? Many here obviously question that.
May 6, 2026 @ 1:29 pm
Hey Kevin,
Always glad to see you weigh in. I think the issue is that money grab often has a negative connotation.
May 7, 2026 @ 5:02 pm
How else is there to find out if it’s possible to continue except by trying?
May 8, 2026 @ 3:15 pm
Attention Mavericks: Kevin Smith said you can’t do it, sorry guys, your touring hopes are over. No one can come have fun now. Thanks Kevin.
May 6, 2026 @ 7:28 am
I had the pleasure of seeing the band live twice. The first time was at The State Theatre in my home city of New Brunswick, NJ. The second time was at The Beacon Theatre in New York City. They were awesome both times. I’ve been a fan of them since I first heard them in the 90s while they were still doing traditional country and fell even more in love with them when they started incorporating Hispanic music styles.
That being said, I don’t see how they can continue long term without the irreplaceable Raul Malo.
May 6, 2026 @ 9:45 am
I saw them at the December 2025 tribute at the Ryman, my first Mavericks concert, “Dancing the Night Away.” What a joyful night! I haven’t danced the night away like that since, well, I don’t know when! The best conga line I’ve ever known! And I will continue to dance with them whenever I hear their music. The Mavericks are now part of the fabric of my life, and even though I didn’t get to hear Raul sing, he’s part of it, too. Joyful, joyful!
May 6, 2026 @ 11:41 am
I have loved the Mavericks since the early 2000s and I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen them live. During the period that they were broken up, I saw Raul Malo solo a bunch of times. I feel like this is like when Jerry Garcia died and while the band kept going, they changed the name from the Grateful Dead to Dead & Co. It’s still the same band, but the hole that the loss created is so massive. That voice! I mean, he could sing a phone book and make it sound great. I’ll see them on this tour, but I’ll be weeping like a little baby every time they hit a song that just needed Raul Malo’s voice.
May 6, 2026 @ 2:55 pm
Raul Malo WAS the Mavericks. Few noticed when they swapped out musicians, but this is completely different. Good luck to them, but I’m thinking this will be the only leg of the tour. No Raul, no Mavericks. The good news is that the players are all world-class, and they shouldn’t have trouble finding work.
May 6, 2026 @ 3:16 pm
The Mavericks without Raul is just a band. Now they are a great band at that, but will never be the same without his voice. I got one would not go to a show.
May 6, 2026 @ 5:41 pm
I for one will attend at least one of these tribute shows. Certainly, Raul Malo was amazing. However, the music of the Mavericks deserves to carry on. It’s just too good. The band has always displayed an incredible, energetic magic. I have to believe Raul would want the music to continue to old and new audiences.
May 7, 2026 @ 6:55 am
I got my tickets for opening night of the tour in KC. I’ve seen them at knuckleheads in KC several times. Can’t wait. There will only ever be one Raul Malo but the band is as good as there is and if anything this can be perfect closer. The Mavericks were my favorite live band. During any show at any time you could look around the crowd and see hundreds of huge smiles. It won’t ever be the same but these guys still need to play. There’s got to be some more joy to give out.