Daryl Hall & John Oates finalize 2021 Tour Dates

 So nice to see major tours coming back in 2021! Among the upcoming dates on the tour is a stop at Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio (check out my review of the duo's wonderful performance there in 2014 HERE). Robert Kinsler 

Daryl Hall & John Oates Finalize  2021 Tour Dates Special Guests Squeeze And KT Tunstall To Support Tickets On-Sale Now at LiveNation.com HoagieNation Festival 2021 Set For August 7 In Philly;  Hollywood Bowl Set for October 1

Photo Credit: Mick Rock

(New York, NY - June 24, 2021): On February 28, 2020, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Daryl Hall & John Oates were looking ahead to a busy year. That evening they would play a sold out show at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, with a massive nationwide spring and summer tour set to launch the following month. But as March dawned, the world transformed, and within weeks their entire tour had been cancelled. Now, the best-selling duo in music history have rescheduled many of those shows, finalizing a twenty-five date tour produced by Live Nation, launching August 5 in Mansfield, MA, and including the HoagieNation Festival Presented by Daryl Hall and John Oates on August 7 in Philadelphia, an October 1 performance at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and much more. Special guests Squeeze and KT Tunstall, who were slated for the 2020 tour, will support in most markets. See below for a full list of dates. VIP and general tickets for the tour are available now at LiveNation.com “For a lot of our fans, we may have been the last ticket they bought before lockdown,” says Daryl Hall. “Now we want to be the first show they look forward to as the world reopens.” “The world needs live music and playing live has been an important part of my life,” adds John Oates. “The fans miss it and I miss it and it's going to be exciting and emotional to get back on tour again.”      ABOUT DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES Daryl Hall & John Oates are legends who continue to inspire today’s musical trailblazers. Their influence on multiple generations of musicians and songwriters is perhaps best summarized by SPIN who claimed “Hall and Oates are the new Velvet Underground.” On-the-record fans include: Cameron Crowe, Mark Ronson, Questlove, Adam Sandler, John Mayer, Booker T. Jones, Rob Thomas, Brandon Flowers, Amos Lee, Ben Gibbard and Nick Lowe. In 1987, the RIAA recognized Daryl Hall & John Oates as the number-one selling duo in music history, a record they hold to this day. In 2003, the legendary duo were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, they were honored at BMI’s Pop Awards with the Icon Award, and in 2014, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016, they together received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   ABOUT SQUEEZE Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford have been compared to Lennon and McCartney since “Take Me I’m Yours,” their first release in 1978, blasted the band into the forefront of the UK music scene. The legendary duo have since written all of their hits as well as recorded 15 studio albums, 14 compilation albums, four live albums, one extended play and 48 singles. Following their hits including “Tempted,” “Black Coffee in Bed,” “Hourglass,” “Cool For Cats”, “Up The Junction” and “Pulling Mussels From The Shell,” they established themselves as two of the most prolific songwriters of their time with each amassing a wealth of melody-rich earworms over the past four decades as both Squeeze and solo artists. They have also received an Ivor Novello award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, the Nordoff-Robbins Icon Award and the Mojo Icon Award.   ABOUT KT TUNSTALL Singer-songwriter, KT Tunstall enchants and engages with every song, and that’s why she continues to resonate not only among fans, but throughout pop culture at large. Scotland born and now Los Angeles based, KT Tunstall emerged with her 2004 classic debut Eye To The Telescope spawning such international hits as “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See”, which won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in 2006. That same year she won her first BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist, and earned Grammy and Mercury Prize nominations in 2007. KT has released six albums internationally, to date: Eye to the Telescope (2004), Drastic Fantastic (2007), Tiger Suit (2010), Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon(2013), KIN (2016) and WAX (2018), cementing her reputation as a major recording talent, as well as a mesmerizing live artist.   DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES 2021 TOUR DATES August 5 – Xfinity Center – Mansfield, MA *^ August 7 – HoagieNation – TD Pavilion at the Mann – Philadelphia, PA * August 9 – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH *^ August 11 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY *^ August 13 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ *^ August 15 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY *^ August 19 – Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN *^ August 21 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI *^ August 23 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH *^ August 26 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, IL *^ August 28 – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Milwaukee, WI *^ August 30 – Xcel Energy Center – St. Paul, MN *^ September 1 – Ball Arena – Denver, CO *^ September 18 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD *^ September 20 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL *^ September 22 – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hollywood, FL * September 24 – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre – Alpharetta, GA *^ September 26 – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman – Woodlands, TX *^ September 28 – Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, TX *^ October 1 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA *^ November 6 – Fantasy Springs Resort Casino – Indio, CA November 9 – Maui Arts & Cultural Center – Kahului, HI November 13 – Neal S. Blaisdell Center – Honolulu, HI December 3 – Foxwoods – Mashantucket, CT December 4 – Foxwoods – Mashantucket, CT * w/ Squeeze ^ w/ KT Tunstall

Daryl Hall and John Oates: Website: https://www.hallandoates.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hallandoates Twitter: https://twitter.com/halloates Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hallandoatesofficial/ About Live Nation Entertainment Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com

Concert review: Brian Wilson and The Zombies bring classics to Fantasy Springs Resort

"Something Great From '68" Tour
Who: Brian Wilson, The Zombies
Where: Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, CA
When: Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019


Less than a week after catching The Rolling Stones thrill a packed State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, I was able to catch a decidedly more intimate bill celebrating '60s-spawned rock courtesy of a promising bill featuring Brian Wilson and The Zombies at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio on Sept. 1.

The Zombies performing in Indio on Sept. 1, 2019.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

Fresh off the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, England's Zombies have continued to enjoy a well-deserved resurgence because of a number of fortuitous factors including burgeoning interest in the band's 1968 masterwork Odessey and Oracle and a slew of high-profile performances showcasing the fully-intact talents of singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist-composer Rod Argent. In fact, prior to catching The Zombies in Indio on Sunday night, this writer last caught the band earn a standing ovation opening for Arcade Fire at the Greek Theater in Hollywood in September 2018.

The crowd at Fantasy Springs was rewarded with a special set that covered the band's stellar range of intoxicating material. Opening with the blues rock nugget "Roadrunner" (the Bo Diddley cover was the first song on the band's 1965 debut Begin Here), the Zombies covered plenty of sonic territory over 65 minutes. With a style that seamlessly blends rock, pop, jazz, classical and R&B, the Zombies (also featuring drummer Steve Rodford, guitarist Tom Toomey and bassist Søren Koch) showcased beloved classic material highlighted by a mini-set from Odessey and Oracle including an extended "Time of the Season." However, concertgoers seemed to really appreciate the group's newer tracks (including "Moving On" and "Edge of the Rainbow" off 2015's Still Got That Hunger); a definite highlight was when the Zombies debuted a newly-written song titled "Merry Go Round," a stellar and infectious rock track complete with some shining harmony vocals. Every time Blunstone's amazing tenor would fly or Argent would take off on a virtuoso keyboards solo, crowd members would cheer.

The Zombies' closed out their magical set with a terrific version of their first hit "She's Not There," which featured Argent and Toomey trading flashy solos before Koch and Rodford got into the act showcasing their artful chops too. 

Brian Wilson, lower left, joined by Al Jardine, lower right, in Indio.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

Wilson's headlining performance was more complex for the audience — as well as yours truly — to process. Wilson, 77, had postponed a two-week tour in June 2019 focused on "Pet Sounds," noting his long-running bout with mental illness was behind the decision.

Brian Wilson behind the piano. Photo: Robert Kinsler

Watching Wilson wheeled on stage and positioned behind a piano (often motionless during parts of the 95-minute performance) was surprising and unsettling for many in the crowd, but the good news is that the celebrated singer-songwriter brought a terrific ensemble with him to recreate a parade of timeless classics from the 1960s and early '70s.

Al Jardine performing at Fantasy Springs Resort.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

Chief among the contributors who brought the classics to life were his Beach Boys bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin. Jardine, 76, was particularly strong throughout the show with his excellent work on rhythm guitar and vocals adding to the effectiveness of the set. Indeed, Jardine conjured up magic when nailing the lead vocals on "Help Me, Rhonda," a 1965 hit that first showcased his vocals in the group. Chaplin's vocals and fiery guitar work was put in the spotlight during a rousing take on "Sail On Sailor."

A total of 29 songs were performed, with the biggest hits coming at the beginning of the set and later to close things out. In the middle of the set were 17 mostly-unknown gems pulled primarily from under-the-radar LPs Wild Honey (1967), Friends (1968) and Surf's Up (1971). Particularly stirring of these lesser-known songs was the melodic "Darlin' " (featuring fantastic vocals from keyboardist Darian Sahanaja) psychedelic surf rocker "Meant For You," probing "Til I Die," and vocally-dense "Heroes and Villains."

The night ended on a high note with Wilson and company unleashing many of the Beach Boys' best known top hits including a faithful rendition of "Good Vibrations," the aforementioned "Help Me, Rhonda," "Barbara Ann," "Surfin' U.S.A.," and night-ending "Fun, Fun, Fun."

Review by Robert Kinsler

Hall & Oates thrill crowd at Fantasy Springs Resort

Hall & Oates in August 2013. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

What wasn't to love about Hall & Oates' terrific concert at Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio on Friday night (March 7)?

Over the course of 90 wonderful and fast-moving minutes, Daryl Hall and John Oates –backed by a solid 6-man band – offered up rousing takes on not only most of their most beloved and essential hits from the 1970s and '80s but a few rarely-heard gems too. With Hall & Oates set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month, the legendary hit makers seemed especially amped up throughout the concert. Indeed a sold-out crowd of 3,500 or so seemed to love every minute of it too.

Opening with an energetic version of "Maneater," the song's infectious groove and catchy choruses were not the only attraction. Hall's smooth vocals were strong from the start, and the dynamics extended to an effective climax to the song when Oates' lead guitar leads mirrored Charles DeChant's sax lines for a sonic jolt that kicked off the show with plenty of firepower.

With Hall and Oates playing guitars (along with lead guitarist Shane Theriot), the group's sound in Indio definitely boasted a powerful edge, which was apparent on "Out of Touch," which Oates unleashing some distinctive work on his lead guitar to close the song.

Hall & Oates' concert was a lesson in offering up songs that, while mostly faithful to the studio versions, were enhanced in the live setting via artful solos, vocal breaks and harmony vocals (notably "Say It Isn't So") that never failed to work their magic.

Among the under-the-radar material highlighted by the duo was "Did It In A Minute," "Alone Too Long" and "Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song)," the latter two '70s gems featuring Oates on lead vocals.

Hall & Oates' distinctive blend of Philly soul, pop, rock and R&B is timeless, and their best songs continue to connect as powerfully as the era when they were released. From the soaring "She's Gone" ("It always feels good, no matter how many times we play it," Hall acknowledged in his introduction) and beautiful "Sara Smile" to the funky "I Can't Go For That" and pop-infused "Kiss On My List," the sense of joy and sheer joy of music making is embedded in the pair's DNA.

Hall & Oates ended the winning night with an infectious and dance-minded "Private Eyes," yet another reminder to the sheer number of superb songs recorded by popular music's number one dynamic duo.

Robert Kinsler