The B-52’s Celebrate 40th Anniversary With Tour Stop In Seattle

Beloved queer band The B-52’s are getting ready to embark on their 4oth anniversary tour in a few weeks which will take them around the world, including stops in Portland Oregon and Seattle Washington in August.

The band who originated in Athens Georgia in 1976 with a very unique retro pop/rock sound that came to be known as “New Wave” consisted of Fred Schneider on vocals; Kate Pierson on vocals and keyboards; Cindy Wilson on vocals and percussion; her brother Ricky Wilson  on lead guitar and Keith Strickland on drums, guitar and keyboards. All three men in the group are/were gay and Ricky Wilson died from AIDS in 1985 which devastated the close band members who took a break after his death. It was at this point Keith Strickland took over the lead guitar spot in the band and the band hired outside drummers for studio work and tours.

The band scored a number of hits in the 80s including “Rock Lobster” and “My Own Private Idaho” but it was 1989’s “Love Shack” that became their biggest hit. The band took a break for several years in the 90s and early 00s before hitting the road again on numerous nostalgia tours with other popular 80s groups like The Go-Gos. Strickland retired from the band in 2012 and the trio of Schneider, Pierson and Cindy Wilson keep the B-52’s spirit alive today.

The group will hit the road starting in May with support from fellow popular bands from the era, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Berlin.

One question raised: how is a tour in 2019 celebrating the 40th anniversary of a band formed in 1976??

“43rd Anniversary Tour” doesn’t have much of a ring to it…

This is also being called a “Farewell Tour” but since Cher started polluting that term over a decade ago with 32 different “farewells” it doesn’t mean much. (also to be fair, Frank Sinatra did the same thing “back in the day” having farewell tours that went on for years and years…)

Tickets for Portland and Seattle shows go on sale this Friday. For Seattle, go here to snag them!

More info:

“No novelty, the B-52s may be the most subversive band America ever gave us…Campy? Yes. Colorful? Yes. Fun? Very much so. But none of this should take away from their value as vanguards”- Salon “The greatest white dance band in the world”- Interview Magazine “From the very beginning, the B-52s were an undeniably great live act” Pitchfork (New York, NY – April 9, 2019) Now with over 20 million albums sold into their career, there can be no doubt as to why The B-52s remain one of rock music’s most beloved and enduring bands. As the B-52s continue to celebrate their 40thAnniversary, the band announced a world-wide tour today that is expected to cover more than 10 countries and will include a headlining North American summer tour. The 40+ city tour will kick off May 4 in West Palm Beach, FL at Sunfest and finishes in New York City on September 24 at Summer Stage in Central Park. Tickets for the tour are on sale on April 12 at 10am local time. Click HERE to purchase. Full tour dates below with more expected to be added in the future. OMD and BERLIN will support on select North American dates. In 2018, the B-52s began their  40th anniversary celebration in style,  co-headlining a massively successful American tour with Culture Club and Thompson Twins, taking over venues across the country. Continuing the festivities, Da Capo Press/Hachette Books has announced plans to publish the first-ever official history of the band in 2020. Meanwhile, the B-52s have joined forces with Executive Producer Fred Armisen and Director Craig Johnson [Skelton Twins, Wilson, Alex Strangelove] to develop an authorized documentary film of the group. “Who knew that when we played our first house dance party in Athens, Georgia in 1976 that we would be still be rocking the house in 2019!” says vocalist Kate Pierson. Adds fellow vocalist Cindy Wilson, “Visiting over 10 countries to perform for our fans around the globe makes us so incredibly happy. Let’s rock!” Front man Fred Schneider gives fair warning, “Woo-hoo! Europe and then all over North America! Dust off those go-go boots and shine your dancing shoes because the B-52s are coming!” You don’t need to look too hard to see or hear the multi-dimensional influence of the B-52s. As they take their party-music revolution into the 21stcentury, the B-52s show no signs of slowing down, serving up their own unique blend of music and showmanship to millions of fans around the world. THE B-52’s WORLD TOUR DATES May 4                         West Palm Beach, FL         Sunfest* May 12                       Arlington, TX                       KAABOO Texas* May 26                       Nashville, TN                        Nashville Boogie Vintage Weekender* June 21                      Vitoria, Spain                        Azkena Rock Festival*^ June 23                      Amsterdam, Netherlands    Paradiso**^ June 24                      Brussels, Belgium                Ancienne Belgique**^ June 26                      Cologne, Germany              E-Werk**^ June 27                      Berlin, Germany                   Columbiahalle**^ June 29                      Gateshead Sage, UK          Gateshead Sage**^ June 30                      London, UK                           Eventim Apollo**^ July 2                          Nottingham, UK                    Royal Concert Hall**^ July 3                          Manchester, UK                   O2 Apollo**^ July 5                          Paris, France                        Olympia**^ July 7                          Argeles Sur Me, France      Festival les Deferlantes*^ August 1                    Costa Mesa, CA                   Pacific Amphitheatre** August 3                    San Diego, CA                Bayside Summer Nights @ Embarcadero Marina Park** August 4                    Los Angeles, CA                  Microsoft Theater August 6                    Portland, OR                         Oregon Zoo Amphitheater August 7                    Seattle, WA                           BECU ZooTunes Concert Series August 8                    Missoula, MT                        Kettlehouse Amphitheater August 10                  Bend, OR                              Les Schwab Amphitheater August 11                  Murphys, CA                         Ironstone Amphitheatre August 12                  Saratoga, CA                        TheMountain Winery August 14                  Phoenix, AZ                          Comerica Theatre August 16                  Salt Lake City, UT                Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre August 17                  Dillon, CO                              Dillon Amphitheater** August 18                  Greenwood Village, CO      Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre August 21                  San Antonio, TX                   The Majestic Theater August 22                  Austin, TX                              Bass Concert Hall August 24                  Sugarland, TX                      Smart Financial Centre August 25                  New Orleans, LA                  Saenger Theatre August 28                  Clearwater, FL                      Ruth Eckerd Hall September 6            Greensboro, NC              White Oak Amphitheatre at Greensboro Coliseum Complex September 7            Atlanta, GA                           Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park September 8            Huber Heights, OH              Rose Music Center at the Heights September 11           Grand Rapids, MI                 Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens September 13           Toronto, ONT, CA                Sony Centre for the Performing Arts September 14           Detroit, MI                              Meadow Brook Amphitheatre September 17           Washington, DC                   The Anthem September 19           Philadelphia, PA                   Mann Center for the Performing Arts September 20           Mashantucket, CT               Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater September 22           Asbury Park, NJ                   Sea.Hear.Now Festival* September 24           New York, NY                       Summerstage – Central Park All dates are with The B52s, OMD and Berlin unless noted below *Festival Date ^European Tour **Headline Date About The B-52’s Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, The B-52s—Fred Schneider [vocals], Kate Pierson [vocals], Cindy Wilson [vocals], and Keith Strickland [guitar, drums, keys, programming]— have quietly impacted alternative music, fashion, and culture over the course of four-plus decades. They count John Lennon, Madonna, James Murphy, and Michael Stipe among their disciples. Panic! At The Disco, Blood Orange, The Offspring, Pitbull, Roger Sanchez, and DJ Shadow have sampled classics from the band’s discography as Seth MacFarlane’s FamilyGuy, The Simpsons, Sugarland, and more offered up covers of their own. They inched towards the forefront of the post-punk movement in America codified by 1979’s self-titled The B-52s. Not only did the record go gold, but it also placed at #152 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and #99 on VH1’s “Greatest Albums of All Time.” The gold-selling Wild Planet arrived hot on its heels in 1980. With Keith brilliantly filling the void in with music composition and live show guitar duties, 1989’s watershed Cosmic Thingelevated the B-52s to another galaxy altogether. It moved 5 million-plus units and spawned a string of Top 10 smashes in the form of the GRAMMY®-nominated“Roam” and “Love Shack”—which Rolling Stone lauded on the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” After a 16-year hiatus, The B-52’s proved as bright, bold, and boundless as ever on 2008’s Funplex. The momentum only ramped up when they roamed on tour in 2015. As they prepare a high-profile documentary and first official book, The B-52s look forward to inspiring future generations. About OMD Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), the synth-pop duo from Wirral, England, pioneered their genre combining massive chart success with experimentation on albums such as “Organisation”(1980) “Architecture and Morality” (1981) and “Dazzle Ships” (1983). Hits such as ‘Enola Gay’, ‘So in Love’ and ‘If You Leave’ propelled them into the stratosphere. The latter of which was heavily featured in the John Hughes ’Pretty In Pink’ film. The band has sold over 15 million albums and 25 million singles. OMD re-united in 2007 and have been playing sold out concerts worldwide to critical and fan acclaim ever since. Their recent studio albums ‘English Electric’ and ‘Punishment of Luxury’ show the band to be one of the few of their generation still able to create music that inspires. Their live show never fails to impress, full of hits and full of energy. “Electronic music is our language”, Andy says. “It’s how we talk.” The band will be celebrating their 40th anniversary with the release of a Singles collection and collectors box set that spans their truly remarkable career. OMD live are Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper, Stuart Kershaw. About BERLIN BERLIN will forever be recognized as the American progenitor of electro-pop artistry with sensually appealing lyrics.  Few bands emerging from the era of BERLIN have achieved as far-reaching and long-lasting an impact and, rarely, such a timeless array of musical grooves.  The Los Angeles-based band made its first national impression with the provocative single “Sex (I’m A…)” from the platinum-selling debut EP Pleasure Victim in 1982. “The Metro” and “No More Words” were also chart toppers, but it was the unforgettable, intimate, and strikingly beautiful love song, “Take My Breath Away” that took the band to another level.  The ballad’s defining role in the Tom Cruise film, Top Gun, helped solidify BERLIN’s everlasting place in American pop-culture.  The song was a #1 international hit and received both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for “Best Original Song” in 1986. BERLIN’s discography has yielded twelve gold and platinum album awards. The band—founded by Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond—made its everlasting place in American pop-culture. Nunn’songoing influence earned her the #11 spot on VH1.com’s “100 Greatest Women in Rock,” while, as an actress, she played leading roles in films including Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold with Kim Basinger, and Thank God It’s Fridaywith Jeff Goldblum and Debra Winger. Along with comedienne, Wendy Liebman, Nunnalso previously hosted the critically acclaimed radio show Unbound with Terri Nunn on 88.5 FM KCSN Los Angeles. Nunn, Crawford and Diamond have just finished recording a brand new BERLIN studio album, scheduled for release in July 2019. The album marks the first studio collaboration by Nunn, Crawford and Diamond since Love Life, the third BERLIN album, released in 1984.