2024 is shaping up to be a year featuring some big rock and roll tours. Certified legends and Rock Hall of Fame members are hitting the road, proving that in many cases, age is just a number. As an aging musician myself, it gives me hope that I’ll have a career as long as I want one. Here’s a look at some of the traveling acts on the road, several making stops close to us.
Bob Dylan. The legendary shape-shifting 82-year-old troubadour put out his first album in 1962. His Rough and Rowdy Ways world tour that began in 2021 will make several Florida stops in March. Reviews of these concerts have been very positive, and the setlist draws a lot of material from his newest album that has the same name as the tour. Dylan’s band is tight, the arrangements are consistent from show to show, and reviewers have written that Dylan is singing better than he has in years. Needless to say, I will make one of these shows.
Rolling Stones. Their new “Hackney Diamonds” album deservedly earned rave reviews, and the band is firing on all cylinders. For Mick Jagger, 80 is the new 30 — no other frontman covers as much ground or struts as many miles in a concert as he does. His voice still sounds as good as it ever has, and somehow Keith Richards and Ron Wood have lived to tell their tales as well. Original Stones drummer Charlie Watts passed away not long ago, and the last time he played a show with them was their 2019 South Florida stop at the Hard Rock Stadium. Veteran Steve Jordan has taken Charlie’s place (Steve was recommended by Charlie), and the Stones still rock 60 years on. They’ll be playing Orlando on June 3.
Eagles. They’re calling it Long Goodbye, The Final Tour. After 50 years of selling out arenas, everyone’s favorite mellow rockers are going to hang it up at the end of this tour. Although founding members Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner have passed away, and Bernie Leadon and Don Felder are out of the band, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit are carrying on with the help of Vince Gill and Deacon Frey (son and doppelgänger of Glenn). The songs are classic, the harmonies are tight and crisp, and they’ll play three Florida dates in March. As an extra added attraction, the coolest “band” ever, Steely Dan, is opening for the Eagles. After Walter Becker passed, Donald Fagen carried on the legacy with his inimitable voice, their band of mighty players, and those amazing songs.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. They played South Florida last year at the opening of the tour that’s still on the road in the U.S., and will travel to Europe, the U.S., and Canada before it wraps in November. Legendary for his three-hour-plus concerts, Bruce and the band will keep a stadium rocking from the front row to the nosebleed seats. Fifty-one years after his first album was released, Springsteen remains one of the most celebrated live acts in music. Even though they’re not playing Florida this year, they’re worth a trip if you haven’t seen them.
Billy Joel. The piano man is leaving live concerts behind after November of this year. With a litany of hits that began in the 1970s and went into the 1990s, Billy draws on a vast catalog of material for his concerts. His shows feature his amazing band as well as his virtuosic piano playing and still strong vocals. He’ll play a stadium show with Sting in Tampa later this month, and if you haven’t seen Billy live, this will likely be your last chance.
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. If you’re not believing this either, all I can say is that it’s true — Frankie Valli is still on the road for one last fling. It’s been named the Last Encores Tour, and it wraps up in October in Las Vegas. His career began in 1960 (!), and it carries on to this day, with a legacy of amazing and instantly recognizable songs. Frankie turns 90 this year, and he is certainly the oldest of the rockers still out on the road. If you want to see him, he plays the Hard Rock in Hollywood on Feb. 9.
I would venture that (for the most part) none of these musical greats are doing it solely for the money. Playing music live is what musicians do. Guitar legend B.B. King played until he was 88 and just couldn’t do it any more. Willie Nelson is still on the road (again) at 90. Paul McCartney just wrapped up his Got Back tour last year at age 81. There really is something about playing music that is good for the soul — and as Bob Dylan once wrote, helps you stay forever young.
