https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lynyrd-skynyrd-announces-big-wheels-keep-on-turnin-tour/
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group LYNYRD SKYNYRD was well into the "Last Of The Street Survivors Farewell Tour" when the worldwide shutdown forced the band — and all musicians — off the road. Over 15 months since their last date together, the Southern Rock icons aren't quite ready to say "farewell." They are back and ready to hit the road on their "Big Wheels Keep On Turnin' Tour". The initial 30 dates kick off June 13, 2021 and run coast to coast and border to border through November 19.
Original LYNYRD SKYNYRD member Gary Rossington, lead singer Johnny Van Zant and lead guitarist Rickey Medlocke delivered a personal message to their fans about the band's touring plans, which can be seen below.
"We were two shows into the end of the three-year plan for the farewell tour, when the virus hit and everything was just gone," said Van Zant. "Once something is taken away from you — music and touring in our case — you truly realize how important it is and such a part of your life. Music is a great healer, and that's what we all turn to when things are good or bad. A SKYNYRD show is a family affair, and we want these dates to help heal our fans as much as ourselves."
Rossington added: "COVID turned our world upside down. And since that time, we have been talking amongst the band, and realized that music has such a way of healing. Maybe it's not our time to go. And maybe it's our time to lift people's spirits and lives and bring back some joy and happiness after so much turmoil this past year. We're still standing, still keeping the music going."
The band's first show back in over 15 months saw them headlining the opening night of the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach last Friday. The legendary rockers picked up right where they left off, drawing over 23,000 music fans ready to cut loose and sing along to everlasting classics like "Sweet Home Alabama", "Simple Man", "Gimme Three Steps", "What's Your Name", "Call Me The Breeze", "You Got That Right", signature song "Free Bird", and more. It is easy to see why Rolling Stone named LYNYRD SKYNYRD one of its "100 Greatest Bands Of All Time."
Thirteen of the "Big Wheels Keep On Turnin' Tour" shows will go on sale to the public this Friday, June 11 at 10 a.m. local time. Fan presale begins Wednesday, June 9 at 10 a.m. local time by logging on to www.lynyrdskynyrd.com/tour and using the special code SKYNYRDBIGWHEELS. Those dates are designated with an asterisk (*) on the schedule below.
"Being locked down brought a big perspective of how much I missed the band and the fans and not to ever take it for granted," said Medlocke. "Merle Haggard was once asked, 'Why do you do this? You don't need to do this.' He said, 'I'm a musician, this is what I do — I play.' That's what we are. We're musicians. We play. No matter what comes around, we love to be out playing for the fans. Once the band hits the stage, I hope everybody will forget about last year for a little while."
LYNYRD SKYNYRD, the band that USA Today called the "whiskey-soaked genre's most popular and influential crew," is returning to live music with original member Gary Rossington, being joined by Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark "Sparky" Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase.
Hard-driving rockers TESLA will perform as direct support for a majority of the "Big Wheels Keep On Turnin' Tour" dates, and KANSAS, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, BLACKBERRY SMOKE, ALLMAN BETTS BAND and THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND wrap up the other dates.
"Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam represented what's in the air, what the fans want and what we have to offer," said Van Zant. "We're back, we're playing shows, and we're going to finish what the heck we started. We miss the people singing the songs and having a good time, and that's what SKYNYRD is all about."
LYNYRD SKYNYRD "Big Wheels Keep On Turnin' Tour" dates:
Jun. 13 - Forest City, IA - Country Thunder Iowa
Jun. 18 - Ft. Worth, TX - Billy Bob's Texas
Jun. 19 - Ft. Worth, TX - Billy Bob's Texas
Jul. 22 - Shakopee, MN - Twin Cities Summer Jam
Jul. 23 - Minot, ND - North Dakota State Fair
Aug. 09 - Canton, OH - Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
Aug. 10 - Jackson, MI - Jackson County Fair
Aug. 13 - Atlanta, GA - Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood *
Aug. 14 - Cullman, AL - Rock The South
Aug. 19 - Canandaigua, NY - CMAC *
Aug. 20 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts *
Aug. 22 - Wildwood, NJ Barefoot Country Music Festival
Aug. 27 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center *
Aug. 28 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center *
Sep. 03 - Paducah, KY - Touchdowns and Tunes Tailgate Party
Sep. 04 - Durant, OK - Choctaw Grand Theater
Sep. 17 - Selbyville, DE - Freeman Arts Pavilion
Sep. 18 - Doswell, VA - After Hours Concerts at the Meadow Event Park
Sep. 23 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center *
Sep. 27 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
Oct. 01 - Irvine, CA* - FivePoint Amphitheater *
Oct. 02 - Laughlin, NV - Laughlin Event Center
Oct. 08 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center *
Oct. 09 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center *
Nov. 05 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson Boling Arena *
Nov. 06 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Coliseum *
Nov. 13 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum *
Nov. 14 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome To Rockville
Nov. 19 - Bossier City, LA - Brookshire Grocery Arena *
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
wow how do you find out who is opening which shows? that would be an excellent night of music no matter which opener you get
I wish they were coming to Chicago. Not sure where they would play though. I don't think they have the drawing power they once did. I chuckled when I saw they were playing the Jackson County Fair in Michigan. I actually saw them there many moons ago.
Matt is right, you could probably make a festival out of the bands that are going to open for them. Regarding Tesla opening for them, I found that interesting. I saw a show with Tesla, Bad Company and Skynyrd. I love all three bands so that was great to me. Not sure why Bad Co. opened for Skynyrd but it was still a great night. Didn't really matter I guess. 🙂
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Not for nothing but this isn’t Skynyrd. Gary only original left. This is a tribute band cashing in and sadly tarnishing the legacy of at one time what was a force of nature, bad ass wrecking crew of a band. Just my opinion not trying to start a war
You remember LYNYRD SKYNYRD he got tomaine poisoning last night after dinner....I still think they got their name from Hello Mudder Hello Father no matter what they claim. Yes just a shell of what they were....
Love the original Skynyrd but the ticket prices this tour are crazy for a tribute band.
I am sure they put on a great show but the best tix are $300 to $600!
I will stay home and watch the Knebworth video at those prices.
I will look into it or I am sure others have or know already, but how many acts still have "all" or only 1 to any original members left. I am not defending the brand/current band LS or any other. Look at Foreigner. They are about the same as LS ,Mick Jones rarely comes out and plays. It makes no difference to me either way. Obviously the band/brand still has a following. So if folks are buying tickets....
I guess for the most part the classic lineups of ZZ Top,Cheap Trick,Aerosmith,U2 still are knocking it around.
As far as ticket prices, the majority of top acts are charging ENORMOUS sums of money and have been for years. Nothing earth shattering there. Thats how they make a living anymore these days. Its not in record sales obviously. They brew up all of these packages for seating,merch, meet and greet and etc. As long as the fans keeping paying into it...who do you blame?
I heard this theory on a podcast regarding how the drop of physical audio sales (CD's,Vinyl) and the rise of downloading and streaming services impacts actual ticket prices. I wish I could find it, and if I do I will drop a link.
It will be interesting this year and into next when all of the covid restrictions are lifted and all of these musicians.bands,artist hit the road to tour. The market could get saturated and fight for our entertainment dollars. I have been priced out years ago. Rarely go to concerts anymore due to that reason.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Not for nothing but this isn’t Skynyrd. Gary only original left. This is a tribute band cashing in and sadly tarnishing the legacy of at one time what was a force of nature, bad ass wrecking crew of a band. Just my opinion not trying to start a war
Don't worry Pete. Sadly in my opinion that war has been waged many, many times on this site over the years. Almost all by people that never saw the original ABB (we know Blackie, you saw the original band). jszfunk is mostly entirely correct, except for the Cheap Trick example. Find an all original band. Tough to do. I've seen U2, I think the original Outlaws. Pretty much it.
I still like Skynyrd. They've been putting out good albums for years, something the ABB didn't do for a point of reference.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@lee Oh yes I did see the original band Lee! I'm so old now I almost forgot. First shows were early and spring 1970. Duane Allman's slide and his charismatic vibe, how that hooked me from the get go was not expected. A good friend then got me to go and played me their first album at his home but oddly I wasn't that blown away so it was a real surprise how I got hooked at the live show. Saw Hendrix once in 1968 and he opened for The Monkees which was an odd combination. I hadn't tried any smoke by then so I didn't really understand what I saw. I had seen players use a tremolo bar to add vibrato to a note but this was crazy I thought.
Marshall Tucker is another band doing the small venue circuit and isn't Doug Gray the only original left? Yeah I agree these old bands with one or two original members are more or less a tribute band and cashing in on playing the old stuff and younger people may not know that's not most of the musicians they hear when classic rock plays a track they like.
I also saw Three Dog Night in 1970 and Chicago. Remember the Box Tops? Saw them. Rare Earth I thought was a good live band. Get Ready was a good rock take on the Temptations song.
Not for nothing but this isn’t Skynyrd. Gary only original left. This is a tribute band cashing in and sadly tarnishing the legacy of at one time what was a force of nature, bad ass wrecking crew of a band. Just my opinion not trying to start a war
Don't worry Pete. Sadly in my opinion that war has been waged many, many times on this site over the years. Almost all by people that never saw the original ABB (we know Blackie, you saw the original band). jszfunk is mostly entirely correct, except for the Cheap Trick example. Find an all original band. Tough to do. I've seen U2, I think the original Outlaws. Pretty much it.
I still like Skynyrd. They've been putting out good albums for years, something the ABB didn't do for a point of reference.
AH.... you are right I forgot about Bun E Carlos. Its kinda weird arrangement they have with him.
I am just for good quality RNR music. Yeah I think we all would like to have the original lineups in tact, but life happens among other things. Oh well......
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
@jszfunk sure major acts are charging big money for tickets as that is how they make money now that streaming killed the physical media market.
Also the bands charging those exorbitant prices have more original members still in the band.
My issue is Skynyrd charging $300-600 for front center section tickets with only one original member.
Last time I saw the ABB co headlining with Santana in 2012 I paid less than $300 for two 12th row center tickets. Those same tix for Skynyrd at the same venue would cost over $1200 with fees!
But hey if they can sell the tickets at those prices and get the dough I don't begrudge them the payday. They just won't get it from me.
I will spend my money to go see bands like Gov't Mule and Allman Betts for under $100 a ticket.
But hey if they can sell the tickets at those prices and get the dough I don't begrudge them the payday. They just won't get it from me.
I will spend my money to go see bands like Gov't Mule and Allman Betts for under $100 a ticket.
Exactly! If you can get it , then so be it.I dont blame them or anyone else. Once the fans stop showing up and paying these prices, these bands will feel it in the wallet. May change they're tune then.
I wont pay those prices for anyone. I bailed out along time ago. As long as the fans feed into it and support the secondary ticket broker market, its just gonna keep going up.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Hey Bill!! Ronnie is talking about you at the beginning. Did you have them back in Frisco?
Not for nothing but this isn’t Skynyrd. Gary only original left. This is a tribute band cashing in and sadly tarnishing the legacy of at one time what was a force of nature, bad ass wrecking crew of a band. Just my opinion not trying to start a war
Sadly in my opinion that war has been waged many, many times on this site over the years.
Yeah, I knew as soon as I started this thread where it was going. 
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Hey Bill!! Ronnie is talking about you at the beginning. Did you have them back in Frisco?
Nice!! I have never seen this video before.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Not for nothing but this isn’t Skynyrd. Gary only original left. This is a tribute band cashing in and sadly tarnishing the legacy of at one time what was a force of nature, bad ass wrecking crew of a band. Just my opinion not trying to start a war
Sadly in my opinion that war has been waged many, many times on this site over the years.
Yeah, I knew as soon as I started this thread where it was going.
Heh heh, of course. I never understood the disdain for them on this site. I think I saw four of the shows the ABB did with them in the early 2000s. They were enjoyable but I would have preferred to see both bands play entire sets instead of the truncated shows they had to do. They didn't even have an opener. It was funny, they would trade off who was closing. When I saw them in the southeast, if the ABB played first, people wouldn't show up until later. When the ABB closed much of the crowd would leave when Skynyrd finished. You could sit wherever you wanted. 😛
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Regarding ticket prices the most I ever paid was I think $565 for a pair of U2 tix at Soldier Field. Great seats, wonderful show and this was several years ago but I still can't believe I did it. Who knows what they would charge today.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@jszfunk I just Googled The Marshall Tucker Band and Doug Gray is indeed the only original member. Gary is the only original in Skynyrd. But LS promotes themselves as the band where they are in their evolution and not a tribute band and they mention how many albums they have done since the plane crash.
jszfunk. I went to a show in Charlotte, North Carolina at the old football stadium on Independence Blvd in summer 1974. And it was Steely Dan, Z.Z. Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Billy Preston.
Steely Dan didn't show so Z. Z. Top was the headliner and Billy and Dusty were dressed like they were in a Randolph Scott western movie with longhorn steers inside fences on the stage with them.
But before they played, Lynyrd Skynyrd played their set and they closed with a high octane, three lead guitars (Ed, Gary,Allen) playing wide open pedal to the metal with the others right with them version of Free Bird which Ronnie dedicated to Duane and Berry Oakley and it lasted about 15 minutes. It was like someone exploded an atomic bomb in the place and the crowd went nuts and clapped and screamed for about 10 minutes at the end of Free Bird. It just sucked all the air and energy out of the place. So I felt sorry about Z. Z. Top. I think they knew they had just been upstaged and blown off the stage because after the first song Billy Gibbons said something like " Y'all want to hear some more music or are you down for the count?". They did a good set and Tush and Jesus Just Left Chicago and La Grange were real good but they never got the crown going like they were after Free Bird and I don't remember, I could be wrong, but I don't think they played an encore.
Then when I got to my car someone had taken a big rock and knocked out the drivers side window of my car and about a dozen other cars and stole our dash mounted 8 track cassette players. Glass all over my seat and on the floorboard.
And it was Steely Dan, Z.Z. Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Billy Preston.
Thats an interesting lineup...looks cool !!!
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I love Skynyrd seen them a bunch of times it’s just a sad trend these days bands live off a name gorge the fans and too many play the same songs, same stage show.I won’t begrudge anyone who wants to pay it I just think it’s sad.
Tix's just went on sale today for the Indy area show. Here is a link to the Live Nation page where they are being sold and you can an idea on how well its selling so far,prices and etc....
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
As for ticket prices, look at any of the shows onsale right now and what the tickets are going for...it's the current market. A pair of tickets to Blackberry Smoke's headlining tour can be over $500 if you want them to be. Fans will determine what they want. But the current situation dictates what the prices are, promoters figured out a couple years ago to cut the secondary market out of it and if that is what third parties are going to jack the prices up to, why not just do it themselves? So it's a big whatever, is what it is thing for me.
I might've wanted to go for a one more time around with them if the dates had worked out at an entry level price. And what is the big deal about a tribute band thing? Was Roger Waters' recent tours a tribute band, don't remember people complaining about that.
With everything said, I'd rather pay to see Tesla or Allman Betts or maybe Blackberry Smoke. I paid to see Tesla open for Def Leppard once. Tesla closed their opening set and I left the venue, I got what I wanted. Traffic leaving was pretty nice!
Characterizing Roger Water's recent tours as a tribute band was a poor comparison by me.
Skynyrd does have Metlocke, who was an original member before their big record deal, Ronnie's brother is the lead singer and then they have Gary. Those are 3 pretty good ties to the original band.
Gary the only original member of Skynyrd isn't entirely correct but technically is correct. Diffidently the only original left from the famous band. The original band was Ronnie Van Zant singer( the undisputed leader and boss), Gary Rossington guitar, Allen Collins guitar, Larry Junstrom bass and Bob Burns drums. They used the name My Backyard. They toured five years playing small venues such as bars and juke joints with players quiting or being fired by Ronnie with Gary and Allen the only two Ronnie always had with him. They changed their name in 1969 after remembering and laughing about High School teacher Leonard Skinner to Lynyrd Skynyrd. By the time they were signed for an album in 1973 Leon Wilkerson was on bass, Billy Powell, a former roadie for the band, on piano and just before recording began Wilkerson quit and Ed King was brought in on bass. Just after the secessions concluded Wilkerson ask Ronnie if he could return and Van Zant said yes and told Ed King he was the worst bass player he ever heard but you can stay if you switch to guitar as I like your lead playing and writing. Drummer Bob Burns then quit and was replaced by Artimus Pyle before the second album was recorded.
So much more so than the ABB, Lynyrd Skynyrd has been a revolving door apparently from the beginning so maybe today's band can avoid the tribute lable.
Marshall Tucker Band with only singer Doug Gray in it today, maybe not so much.
But both bands are living off the big success they had in the past.
Guess the ABB did that to a degree after about 1995 except when a new studio album came out in 2003 but by 2008 or so even the ABB again seemed to be running on the heyday legacy. But all old bands that can still sell tickets do that a little including the Rolling Stones.
But for me I'm not that excited about seeing today's version of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I have seen them twice since the plane crash though and both times that "tribute band" feel struck me but that is me.
