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Brad Paisley
Take a cue from the CMA Music Festival and Bonnaroo tourists. Even if you live in a city rich with live music every week, sometimes it’s nice to get out of town to hear some. And while Music City gets most of the biggest tours — Paul McCartney comes to the Bridgestone Arena in July — we don’t get them all. With that in mind, here are some tours worth traveling for this summer.
Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley’s last single, “American Saturday Night,” was his 12th No. 1 song in a row. With his massive current H20 World Tour presented by Chevrolet themed around his new single, “Water,” his chart-topping streak seems destined to continue.
Setting the stage: Paisley’s H20 tour launched in Virginia Beach, Va., on May 21, fewer than three weeks after the bulk of his stage set and touring gear was lost in Middle Tennessee floodwater. His crew managed to replace the equipment and start the tour on schedule. Paisley’s tour wraps Sept. 25 in Denver.
Why it’s a tour de force: Paisley seems to have indulged his every childhood whim on his H20 tour, creating a Water World Plaza at every concert. Fans can cool off on a slip and slide or at a dunking booth. Those with a hankering for the lake can satisfy that craving at the fishing simulator. There’s also a racing simulator and booths from Skinny Water and Hope Through Healing Hands, as well as exhibits from Sea Ray Boats and Chevrolet. A massive secondary stage featuring Easton Corbin, Steel Magnolia and Josh Thompson also sits in Water World Plaza.
Justin Moore and Darius Rucker open Paisley’s main stage show at the conclusion of the Water World Plaza set.
Closest date to Nashville: The H20 tour will be in Tinley Park, Ill. (Chicago) July 16 at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Show time is 4 p.m.
Best source for travel info there: www.chicagotraveler.com
Tickets: $28.50-$58.50 through Ticketmaster.com.
— Cindy Watts | THE TENNESSEAN
Forecastle Festival
Over the past eight years, Louisville’s Forecastle Festival has grown out of humble beginnings into a three-day mini-Bonnaroo held at Waterfront Park on the banks of the Ohio River.
Setting the stage: Forecastle’s campground facilities are located at nearby American Turners, but if you don’t feel like roughing it, there’s always the option of staying at a downtown hotel — and getting the chance to explore the city while doing so.
Why it’s a tour de force: This year’s Forecastle is by far the biggest yet: Headliners for the July 9-11 festival include Smashing Pumpkins, The Flaming Lips, Widespread Panic, Spoon and Devo, and there are dozens of indie and regional acts to check out over the weekend, as well.
Closest it comes to Nashville: July 9-11, Louisville, Ky.
Best source for travel info there: www.forecastlefest.com
Tickets: Single day tickets are $60 ($120 VIP). Three-day passes are $150 ($300 VIP) at Ticketmaster.com.
— Dave Paulson | THE TENNESSEAN
Rihanna with Ke$ha
“Rude Boy” is Barbados native Rihanna’s 14th hit to go top 10, tying her with Beyoncé for most by a female artist since 2000.
Setting the stage: Rihanna’s 25-date Last Girl on Earth tour of arenas and amphitheaters starts July 2 in Auburn, Wash., and wraps up Aug. 28 in Syracuse, N.Y.
Why it’s a tour de force: Rihanna’s North American jaunt will come hot on the heels of two months of sold-out shows in Europe, which wrap up June 5 at the Rock in Rio festival in Madrid. The sultry star’s show includes elaborate sets, special effects, sexy choreography and a plethora of eye-popping, skin-baring get-ups. Pop superstar and former Brentwood High School student Ke$ha — herself a chart-topping hitmaker — is the opening act.
Closest it comes to Nashville: 7:30 p.m. July 28, Philips Arena, Atlanta
Best source for travel info there: www.atlanta.net
Tickets: $23.75-$103.75 through Ticketmaster.com.
Additional: Ke$ha is performing a hometown show at Limelight Nashville on Wednesday to raise money for flood relief. Tickets to Ke$ha's Nashville show are $30. All profits from ticket sales, the pop singer said, will go toward relief efforts. Packages that include a meet-and-greet are available for $100.
— Steve Jones | USA TODAY
Eagles, Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban
One of the biggest rock acts of the ’70s and ’80s, the Eagles reunited in 1994 after a 14-year hiatus. They’ve remained a top-grossing force whenever they’ve hit the road.
Setting the stage: The Eagles and the Dixie Chicks flock together for stadium dates this summer, from June 8 in Toronto to June 24 in St. Louis. Keith Urban joins for shows in East Rutherford, N.J.; Foxborough, Mass.; and Chicago.
Why it’s a tour de force: The three shows with Urban put one of the biggest country-rock groups of all time on the same stage as two broad-appeal country acts capable of headlining arenas. Plus, they’ll put the Chicks in front of live audiences for the first time in four years.
Closest it comes to Nashville: June 19, Soldier Field, Chicago. 7:30 p.m. showtime.
Best source for travel info there: www.chicagotraveler.com
Tickets: $55-$225 through Ticketmaster.com.
— Brian Mansfield | FOR USA TODAY
Jackson Browne with David Lindley
Golden State troubadour Jackson Browne reunites with string wizard David Lindley, whose musicianship was an integral element in many of Browne’s classic folk-rock songs, for their first full-band tour since the 1980s.
Setting the stage: A new two-CD live album, Love Is Strange, features Lindley, and the tour winds through Europe and the West Coast before swinging south. The final date is Sept. 24, at Milwaukee, Wi.’s gorgeous Riverside Theatre.
Why it’s a tour de force: Aching, emotionally literate songs such as “Late for the Sky” and “For a Dancer” have worn well through the decades, in large part due to Lindley’s inventive accompaniment on the original recordings. Three recent live albums point to Browne’s subtle stage mastery, and this tour allows Browne and Lindley to play stripped-down, acoustic versions of some songs and amped-up takes on others. Also, the Braves play the Los Angeles Dodgers at 1:35 p.m. on the same day the Browne/Lindley show hits Atlanta, so a baseball/music doubleheader is possible.
Closest it comes to Nashville: Aug. 15, Atlanta’s Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 8 p.m. showtime.
Best source for travel info there: www.atlanta.net
Tickets: $36.50 and $56.50, plus service charges, available through www.ticketmaster.com beginning at
9 a.m. Saturday, June 19.