Fresh off of his sold-out theater tour this late winter and spring, and a host of festival appearances at Coachella, Stagecoach, Bonnaroo, and others, insurgent country artist Sturgill Simpson has just announced a slew of new tour dates as part of his “Living The Dream Tour.” Focusing on theater-sized venues, a few choice opening spots, some more summer festivals, and routing mostly through the eastern United States and over to Europe, Sturgill will be bringing his live show to local fans ahead of his highly-anticipated major label debut release through Atlantic Records. A second round of dates for the tour will be announced in mid July.
The tour includes a host of other festival appearances, as well as shows with Old Crown Medicine Show, The Avett Brothers, Merle Haggard, stops at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic and a Waylon Tribute in Austin July 6th, and a show at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Opening many of the dates will be Nashville-based comedian Billy Wayne Davis, keeping in step with Sturgill’s last tour of not have a band as an opener.
The “Living The Dream” tour also includes make up dates for Charlottesville and Asheville that were cancelled as part of his last tour due to illness. Makeup dates for Raleigh and Richmond are said to be forthcoming.
Some dates are already sold out, like The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on June 23rd, and Metro in Chicago July 31st, so getting tickets sooner than later might be sage advice.
Sorry for the wonky schedule layout, but all links work!
He’s also playing the Waylon tribute on July 6th (if you have $150 laying around for a seat behind a pole), but he just played two shows at Stubbs in Austin and some other Texas dates just a few months ago. My guess is we’ll get some Texas dates and some dates out west as part of the announcement coming in mid July. This is just the first leg.
Haven’t heard any specific word. This is going to be a big one, so they may just be making sure all the ducks are in a row before releasing it. As soon as I hear something official, you can be assured I’ll share it.
How big? Are we talking some major backing in the Pr realm or more relaying on word of mouth?
I really hope sturgill delivers on the album. This may very well be the most important he ever does. This one will determine the path his career takes.
Is the conventional wisdom – he releases a new lp this year? or wait until 2016?
Applejack
June 15, 2015 @
9:22 pm
This is going to be a big one, so they may just be making sure all the ducks are in a row before releasing it. As soon as I hear something official, you can be assured I”™ll share it.
Oh man, I’m salivating just thinking about it. I can’t wait to hear Sturgill’s next album, although I’m trying to keep from getting my hopes up too high.
Why does no one ever (except Shooter & Hayes) want to make it up to Canada?, And when/if they do they just do the lazy thing of going to fucking Toronto. Toronto? Western Canada, Alberta in particular,is buying your albums, not fucking Toronto.
what Hunter said…..we get so few REAL artists out west here ( Victoria ,Vancouver , Calgary , Edmonton ) -no matter the genre . Often we see a tour stop in Portland or Seattle , if we’re lucky .That’s still a 5 -10 hour round-trip for folks from Vancouver ….not to mention all of the hoops you often have to jump through just to get across the border and back ….
I am in Nova Scotia and we had the Georgette Jones tour here a few months prior, sadly not too many real country acts come here. Too many fake bullshit artists. Everyone my age listens to Luke Bryan and his boyfriends ( I am 18).
Did you ever stop to think that there are a lot of people in southern (or even northern) ontario that buy his music and that is a very central urban venue for his fans. I know everyone hates Toronto, I hate the GTA too, but considering he had to add a second show because the first sold out so fast makes me think your a little bitter, and very wrong. I am counting down the days til his show next week!
Definitely frustrating that we only get crappy county singers like Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean coming through, but nothing good like Sturgill Simpson.
The bands our there struggling to make a living who could benefit from the exposure they would get from an opening slot that is inexplicably being given to a comedian, for one. Sturgill has benefitted a bunch from opening slots. To turn around and not offer the same opportunities to other artists is either tone deaf or just douchey.
There’s a long history of comedians opening for bands, they could use the exposure too. It’s one artist giving another artist an opportunity, why does the medium matter?
At Bonaroo there was a mile long line for the comedy tent. Maybe Sturgill actually gives a shit about entertaining his fans first. I like that he mixes it up. He’s had plenty of band openers & has certainly proved he doesn’t owe anyone anything.
I hate the idea of a comedian. I generally hate the sound of other people’s laughter. I was so annoyed at a Flight of the Concords show one time that I left before it finished.
I love the idea of a comedian, although I’ve probably only gone to see one or went to a comedy club somewhere between 5 and 10 times in life, and probably closer to 5. I do watch a lot of stand up on youtube and will watch favorite bits many times.
If this is a comedian hand picked by Sturgill, then I think it sounds promising.
Yeah I don’t get it either. So many underground artists could use this kind of exposure that’ Sturgill already have. Why not get one of them to open up for you? He’s not the only successful underground artist that does that.
I am glad he is coming to Alabama! Unfortunately, I will not make the show. I can’t wait for his new album. Speaking of cool opening acts. I received free tickets to an Eric Church concert in Orange Beach, AL. I am not sure if the opening act did not show or he did not have one. Eric came out and sang 8 songs acoustic. He did bring out the chick that sings “Over when its Over.” I thought that was pretty cool. He can play and the dude has a real big ego. He gave the fans a full show though. I had a great time. However, I did not hear a steel guitar or fiddle during the 3 hours I was there. As much as this site gives EC a hard time, he is an actual artist that can play and write his own songs. It was a songs with country lyrics and rock music.
I apologize, Charlottesville and Asheville makeup dates were part of this announcement. Raleigh and Richmond dates I believe are coming in the future, possibly as part of the announcement coming in mid July.
I missed out on tickets for both nights when Sturgill sold out Knucklehead’s. His show here in KC is the night before my wife is due with our first child.
Decisions, decisions …..
Every single time he’s played kc/stl I’ve missed him (in Jeff city, so kc/stl is a crapshoot for me either way). And I’ll miss him again this time ink kc because I won’t be able to take off work…again…
i haven’t been to Minnesota’s State Fair in 20 years. i might have to catch that show he’s opening for Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson though. i’d kick myself if i missed that lineup.
Yes, it is fitting that both Sturgill and Chris Stapleton would be on the bill at what I believe is the largest overall music festival in Kentucky. (I think Dwight Yoakam played there last year too.) Actually, I was just looking at the Forecastle lineup on their website and they had a pretty big photo of Sturgill on the front page.
I give AC Entertainment, the company which runs both Forecastle and Bonnaroo, a fair amount of credit for at least including country and Americana acts among their festival lineups. (I think there is usually some bluegrass at Bonnaroo too.) Although, as usual, I would still like to see more.
Yep Dwight was there last year along with Nickel Creek and Jason Isbell. All were great as expected, but Gary Clark Jr, and Beck just about destroyed me! They were just incredible. Jack White was interesting. He did two pretty cool covers. Blue Moon of Kentucky and You Know That I Know.
Hope to see him in Birmingham. Missed him the last time he was in bham. He played at a small bar called Zydeco where I recently saw Aaron Watson. Would have loved to have seen him in a small intimate venue like that but had to work. So I guess I’ll have to go the Sloss Festival route.
Looks like in the DC area, Sturgill continues to closely follow Jason Isbell in moving up to larger venues. He played and sold out the Birchmere and 9:30 Club a little more than a year after Jason accomplished that feat. However, Jason just played the Lincoln Theatre in February, so Sturgill will only be seven months behind him. I waited too long to buy tickets for the Isbell show there, which sold out four months in advance (ended up going to see him in Charlottesville). Given that Sturgill sold out the 9:30 Club two months in advance, I expect that the Lincoln Theatre show will sell out quickly. I know what I’ll be doing at 10:00 am on Friday (when tickets go on sale).
What’s up with not having the concert at the Orange Peel in Asheville? The US Cellular Arena is huge……..but I’ll still be there. Guess demand was extremely high at the Grey Eagle show, it would be awesome for him to sell out the arena. Having a show in Athens at the Georgia Theatre would be a great alternative as well IMO.
I bought a ticket for the 9/23 show at the Lincoln Theatre in DC (capacity – 1250) on Friday morning, which is when the tickets went on sale. Just checked the Lincoln Theatre’s website and see that the show has already sold out and they have added a second show for 9/24.
June 15, 2015 @ 11:05 am
Only one Texas date?
June 15, 2015 @ 11:09 am
He’s also playing the Waylon tribute on July 6th (if you have $150 laying around for a seat behind a pole), but he just played two shows at Stubbs in Austin and some other Texas dates just a few months ago. My guess is we’ll get some Texas dates and some dates out west as part of the announcement coming in mid July. This is just the first leg.
June 15, 2015 @ 11:13 am
Hooray for a New Hampshire date! I couldn’t make it the last time he was in Boston, thrilled to see he is coming back.
June 15, 2015 @ 11:38 am
Any word on when his new album will be coming out? I would imagine it would be after this tour and maybe after a little break.
June 15, 2015 @ 12:09 pm
Haven’t heard any specific word. This is going to be a big one, so they may just be making sure all the ducks are in a row before releasing it. As soon as I hear something official, you can be assured I’ll share it.
June 15, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
How big? Are we talking some major backing in the Pr realm or more relaying on word of mouth?
I really hope sturgill delivers on the album. This may very well be the most important he ever does. This one will determine the path his career takes.
June 15, 2015 @ 1:11 pm
No pressure or anything Sturgill!
June 15, 2015 @ 1:17 pm
Is the conventional wisdom – he releases a new lp this year? or wait until 2016?
June 15, 2015 @ 9:22 pm
This is going to be a big one, so they may just be making sure all the ducks are in a row before releasing it. As soon as I hear something official, you can be assured I”™ll share it.
Oh man, I’m salivating just thinking about it. I can’t wait to hear Sturgill’s next album, although I’m trying to keep from getting my hopes up too high.
June 15, 2015 @ 11:41 am
Why does no one ever (except Shooter & Hayes) want to make it up to Canada?, And when/if they do they just do the lazy thing of going to fucking Toronto. Toronto? Western Canada, Alberta in particular,is buying your albums, not fucking Toronto.
June 15, 2015 @ 12:13 pm
what Hunter said…..we get so few REAL artists out west here ( Victoria ,Vancouver , Calgary , Edmonton ) -no matter the genre . Often we see a tour stop in Portland or Seattle , if we’re lucky .That’s still a 5 -10 hour round-trip for folks from Vancouver ….not to mention all of the hoops you often have to jump through just to get across the border and back ….
June 15, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
I am in Nova Scotia and we had the Georgette Jones tour here a few months prior, sadly not too many real country acts come here. Too many fake bullshit artists. Everyone my age listens to Luke Bryan and his boyfriends ( I am 18).
June 15, 2015 @ 3:20 pm
No kidding man..rips over to Fargo but can’t make a stop in Winnipeg
June 15, 2015 @ 5:34 pm
Did you ever stop to think that there are a lot of people in southern (or even northern) ontario that buy his music and that is a very central urban venue for his fans. I know everyone hates Toronto, I hate the GTA too, but considering he had to add a second show because the first sold out so fast makes me think your a little bitter, and very wrong. I am counting down the days til his show next week!
June 17, 2015 @ 12:55 am
Definitely frustrating that we only get crappy county singers like Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean coming through, but nothing good like Sturgill Simpson.
June 15, 2015 @ 12:11 pm
A comedian opening? That’s awesome. You wouldn’t want to help some other bands out. Much better to expose your huge audience to a comedian. Wow.
June 15, 2015 @ 1:02 pm
Who cares?
June 15, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
The bands our there struggling to make a living who could benefit from the exposure they would get from an opening slot that is inexplicably being given to a comedian, for one. Sturgill has benefitted a bunch from opening slots. To turn around and not offer the same opportunities to other artists is either tone deaf or just douchey.
June 15, 2015 @ 1:48 pm
There’s a long history of comedians opening for bands, they could use the exposure too. It’s one artist giving another artist an opportunity, why does the medium matter?
June 15, 2015 @ 4:36 pm
At Bonaroo there was a mile long line for the comedy tent. Maybe Sturgill actually gives a shit about entertaining his fans first. I like that he mixes it up. He’s had plenty of band openers & has certainly proved he doesn’t owe anyone anything.
June 15, 2015 @ 5:50 pm
I hate the idea of a comedian. I generally hate the sound of other people’s laughter. I was so annoyed at a Flight of the Concords show one time that I left before it finished.
June 16, 2015 @ 6:40 am
That’s intense.
I love the idea of a comedian, although I’ve probably only gone to see one or went to a comedy club somewhere between 5 and 10 times in life, and probably closer to 5. I do watch a lot of stand up on youtube and will watch favorite bits many times.
If this is a comedian hand picked by Sturgill, then I think it sounds promising.
June 15, 2015 @ 7:21 pm
Yeah I don’t get it either. So many underground artists could use this kind of exposure that’ Sturgill already have. Why not get one of them to open up for you? He’s not the only successful underground artist that does that.
June 15, 2015 @ 12:44 pm
I am glad he is coming to Alabama! Unfortunately, I will not make the show. I can’t wait for his new album. Speaking of cool opening acts. I received free tickets to an Eric Church concert in Orange Beach, AL. I am not sure if the opening act did not show or he did not have one. Eric came out and sang 8 songs acoustic. He did bring out the chick that sings “Over when its Over.” I thought that was pretty cool. He can play and the dude has a real big ego. He gave the fans a full show though. I had a great time. However, I did not hear a steel guitar or fiddle during the 3 hours I was there. As much as this site gives EC a hard time, he is an actual artist that can play and write his own songs. It was a songs with country lyrics and rock music.
June 15, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
Excellent! Already got tickets sorted for the London show. I’ve only ever seen Sturgill solo so really looking forward to seeing him with a band!
June 15, 2015 @ 2:10 pm
You mentioned a raleigh make up date in article but I don’t see one?
June 15, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
I apologize, Charlottesville and Asheville makeup dates were part of this announcement. Raleigh and Richmond dates I believe are coming in the future, possibly as part of the announcement coming in mid July.
June 15, 2015 @ 2:53 pm
I missed out on tickets for both nights when Sturgill sold out Knucklehead’s. His show here in KC is the night before my wife is due with our first child.
Decisions, decisions …..
June 15, 2015 @ 3:05 pm
Bring a midwife to the show?
June 16, 2015 @ 7:51 am
I think you may have just solved the problem.
June 16, 2015 @ 5:17 am
Every single time he’s played kc/stl I’ve missed him (in Jeff city, so kc/stl is a crapshoot for me either way). And I’ll miss him again this time ink kc because I won’t be able to take off work…again…
June 15, 2015 @ 3:22 pm
i haven’t been to Minnesota’s State Fair in 20 years. i might have to catch that show he’s opening for Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson though. i’d kick myself if i missed that lineup.
June 15, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
“Metro in Chicago July 11th”
It should be July 31st.
June 15, 2015 @ 5:32 pm
Ahhh, he’s in NE the week before I get back from the UK, and in the UK the week after.
Dammit, Sturgill!
June 15, 2015 @ 8:18 pm
Damn! No Portland OR
June 15, 2015 @ 8:31 pm
So glad he is going to be at Forecastle! Chris Stapleton is going to be there as well! Really diverse lineup this year! Can’t wait!
June 15, 2015 @ 9:37 pm
Yes, it is fitting that both Sturgill and Chris Stapleton would be on the bill at what I believe is the largest overall music festival in Kentucky. (I think Dwight Yoakam played there last year too.) Actually, I was just looking at the Forecastle lineup on their website and they had a pretty big photo of Sturgill on the front page.
I give AC Entertainment, the company which runs both Forecastle and Bonnaroo, a fair amount of credit for at least including country and Americana acts among their festival lineups. (I think there is usually some bluegrass at Bonnaroo too.) Although, as usual, I would still like to see more.
June 16, 2015 @ 4:00 am
Yep Dwight was there last year along with Nickel Creek and Jason Isbell. All were great as expected, but Gary Clark Jr, and Beck just about destroyed me! They were just incredible. Jack White was interesting. He did two pretty cool covers. Blue Moon of Kentucky and You Know That I Know.
June 15, 2015 @ 9:12 pm
Very exciting!
Cool art, too. It is suitably trippy, as usual. 😉
June 15, 2015 @ 10:48 pm
Hope to see him in Birmingham. Missed him the last time he was in bham. He played at a small bar called Zydeco where I recently saw Aaron Watson. Would have loved to have seen him in a small intimate venue like that but had to work. So I guess I’ll have to go the Sloss Festival route.
June 16, 2015 @ 6:10 am
Looks like in the DC area, Sturgill continues to closely follow Jason Isbell in moving up to larger venues. He played and sold out the Birchmere and 9:30 Club a little more than a year after Jason accomplished that feat. However, Jason just played the Lincoln Theatre in February, so Sturgill will only be seven months behind him. I waited too long to buy tickets for the Isbell show there, which sold out four months in advance (ended up going to see him in Charlottesville). Given that Sturgill sold out the 9:30 Club two months in advance, I expect that the Lincoln Theatre show will sell out quickly. I know what I’ll be doing at 10:00 am on Friday (when tickets go on sale).
June 16, 2015 @ 10:38 am
What’s up with not having the concert at the Orange Peel in Asheville? The US Cellular Arena is huge……..but I’ll still be there. Guess demand was extremely high at the Grey Eagle show, it would be awesome for him to sell out the arena. Having a show in Athens at the Georgia Theatre would be a great alternative as well IMO.
June 16, 2015 @ 5:01 pm
I wonder why there are so few Southern shows.
June 16, 2015 @ 7:57 pm
Maybe because they will all be announced in the second round of dates coming in mid July.
June 17, 2015 @ 5:31 am
Here’s hoping. I finally listened to Metamodern Sounds through, and now I can’t get enough.
June 18, 2015 @ 6:42 am
So is Living the Dream the concept, conceit or title of his upcoming album by chance?
June 18, 2015 @ 8:04 am
I don’t see it being the title of the album since “living the dream” was on metamodern.
Maybe its just the fact that he is living his dream. IDK
I cant see “living the drea” being on the new album unless they see it can become a hit single on radio, this go around,
June 22, 2015 @ 10:00 am
I bought a ticket for the 9/23 show at the Lincoln Theatre in DC (capacity – 1250) on Friday morning, which is when the tickets went on sale. Just checked the Lincoln Theatre’s website and see that the show has already sold out and they have added a second show for 9/24.
June 25, 2015 @ 6:27 am
Saw him at the Horseshoe Tavern last night. They played a solid hour and a half set which included some Sunday Valley stuff. Loved it!