NASHVILLE |FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/MITCH SCHNEIDER
HEART FEATURING ANN WILSON
TO LAUNCH SUMMER TOUR;
SET WILL INCLUDE HEART HITS, LED ZEPPELIN CLASSICS, NEW MATERIAL
AND A FEW SURPRISES
ANN WILSON will give fans a peek at what she’s been up to when she embarks on a HEART tour of the U.S. and Canada June 18 in Chicago. Backed by the same four-piece band comprised of longtime HEART and Lovemongers associates who accompanied her on her solo tour in 1995, she’ll mix HEART classics, a couple of Led Zeppelin covers, some of her own new material and songs she is road-testing for a future solo album. The seven-week tour by HEART FEATURING ANN WILSON will hit such cities as Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Tampa and Las Vegas, winding up with shows in Los Angeles and Santa Ana, CA.
Of the live show, ANN says: “There are about 17 songs. About half of them audiences will know and the rest they won’t have heard me do before.” Some songs may surprise fans. Along with such HEART classics as “Barracuda,” “Straight On,” “Magic Man,” “Alone” and “Crazy on You,” plus Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and “What Is and What Should Never Be,” the set will include tracks such as “God Give Me Strength,” which Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach wrote for the film Grace of My Heart and the gospel-flavored “Crossing the River.”
“They are just great singer’s songs,” ANN says of her choices. “It’s always a thrill to sing them.” Joining ANN will be guitarist Howard Leese, a member of HEART for the past 22 years; guitarist-vocalist Frank Cox and drummer Ben Smith from Lovemongers; Seattle bassist Jon Bayless; and rhythm guitarist Scott Olson, who has become a good friend since he started out as NANCY WILSON‘s guitar tech in HEART.
“We’re going out there to have a good time and make sure the fans have a good time,” says ANN, who explains that she decided to do the tour while her sister NANCY is working on starting a family. ANN‘s family is growing, too. Joining seven-year-old daughter Marie is John Dustin, born in April of this year. ANN says the tour will resemble a “traveling circus” because both of her children will be accompanying her on the road, along with an extended family of relatives and families of other band and crew members.
The tour comes on the heels of two Lovemongers’ tours and the release of the first full-length Lovemongers album, WHIRLYGIG late last year on Seattle-based Will Records. The Lovemongers’ version of Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” also appeared on last year’s compilation album, The Bridge School Concerts Vol. One, assembled by Neil Young. Just as this HEART tour starts, LOVEMONGERS have put the finishing touches on a Christmas album of original holiday compositions plus two classical pieces including “Ave Maria.”
For more information, also visit the website, www.annandnancy.com, which received over 556,000 “hits” during the month of May. Current tour dates are as follows:
DATE CITY VENUE Thurs 6/18 Chicago, IL House of Blues Fri 6/19 Cincinnati, OH Annie's Sat 6/20 Lansing, MI Yesfest, Oldsmobile Park Mon 6/22 Cleveland Heights, OH Cain Park Tues 6/23 Toledo, OH Zoo Amphitheatre Wed 6/24 Detroit, MI Pine Knob Amphitheatre Sat 6/27 Bottineau, ND Wild Rose Amphitheatre Mon 6/29 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest Tues 6/30 Fort Wayne, IN Piere's Thurs 7/2 St. Paul, MN State Capital Fairgrounds Fri 7/3 Robinsonville, MS Sam's Town Casino Tues 7/7 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol Wed 7/8 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Thurs 7/9 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre Fri 7/10 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair Sat 7/11 Fayetteville, WV Rivers Inc. Summer Concert Series Sun 7/12 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Casino Wed 7/15 Rumson, NJ Tradewinds Fri 7/17 Moncton, New Brunswick Magic Mountain Sat 7/18 St. Johns, New Foundland Paradise Concert Site Tues 7/21 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues Wed 7/22 Jacksonville, FL Shades Fri 7/24 Lake Buena Vista, FL Walt Disney World Sat 7/25 Tampa, FL The Rubb Sun 7/26 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre Thurs 7/30 Tucson, AZ New West Fri 7/31 Las Vegas, NV Maxim Hotel & Casino Sat 8/1 Las Vegas, NV Maxim Hotel & Casino Mon 8/3 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues Tues 8/4 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues Thurs 8/6 Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre Fri 8/7 Temecula, CA Pechanga Entertainment Center Sat 8/8 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Theatre
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