From Zakk Sabbath to The 2017 ‘Experience Hendrix Tour’ Zakk Wylde is Keeping Busy
Lauded by critics and fans alike, the multi-artist Experience Hendrix Tour is set to return in 2017 to celebrate the music of Jimi Hendrix, long hailed as the genre’s greatest innovator. This latest edition of the annual tour will be the most ambitious one to date, encompassing 29 performance dates in February and March, including a special engagement in Seattle, Hendrix‘s hometown, at the city’s historic Paramount Theater.
Now in its second decade, the tour celebrates the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix by bringing together a diverse array of phenomenal musicians, ranging from blues legend Buddy Guy to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Zakk Wylde, as well as Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dweezil Zappa, Keb’ Mo’, Doyle Bramhall II, Ana Popovic, THE SLIDE BROTHERS, Mato Nanji from INDIGENOUS, and Beth Hart will also be featured among many others. Billy Cox, bassist for both the JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE and BAND OF GYPSYS, anchors a rhythm section that provides the foundation for exciting renditions of numerous signature Hendrix favorites such as “Purple Haze” and “Little Wing”. The new tour comes on the heels of the 2016 Experience Hendrix Tour, which sold out nearly every one of the 27 venues that hosted it.
Jimi Hendrix was a pioneer in both rock and blues, and expanded the possibilities of what could be achieved on his instrument and in popular music. Likewise, the Experience Hendrix Tour continues to expand as Jimi‘s legacy grows. In 2004, the first tour came to fruition with a three-date string of shows on the West Coast, starting in Hendrix‘s hometown of Seattle. By 2008, the Experience Hendrix Tour had become a full-fledged, coast-to-coast expedition and continuing to date without showing any signs of slowing down. Audiences are presented the opportunity to see great artists paying homage to Hendrix while collaborating with each other in ways they’d never do in their own live shows.
Experience Hendrix Tour veteran Zakk Wylde, who named his own son Hendrix, spoke about being on the road with the other musicians. “When you listen to all the fellas and the gals that are out there on the tour, it isn’t just the great solos,” he said. “They are great songs, you know. It’s not just about shredding. I’m totally honored to be part of it.”
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE‘s debut album “Are You Experienced” (released on May 12, 1967) as well as the follow up album “Axis: Bold As Love” (released in the U.K. on December 1, 1967). 1967 was also the year Jimi Hendrix rose to intercontinental prominence, when he made his U.S. debut at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival, lighting his guitar on fire to a mesmerized audience. The repertoire from this stage of Jimi‘s career serves as a cornerstone in Experience Hendrix Tour sets, as songs like “Fire”, “Manic Depression” and “Are You Experienced” are played by various musicians on a nightly basis.
During his lifetime, Jimi Hendrix always used the live performance context as a platform for exploration. The fact is evidenced by the release this week of the new live album “Machine Gun: The First Fillmore East Show 12/31/1969”. The album is a thorough document of Hendrix’s BAND OF GYPSYS‘ first concert ever, in its entirety. This trio of Jimi, Buddy Miles and Billy Cox was short lived, but left an indelible mark on music by combining funk, rock and soul at a time when all three genres were in their formative stages. It’s expected that some of the songs featured on the “Machine Gun” album, including “Hear My Train A Comin'” and “Power Of Soul”, will be heard on the Experience Hendrix Tour. Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Legacy Recordings are releasing the album, on CD, LP and digitally this Friday, September 30.
Fans will get the latest Jimi Hendrix CD “Machine Gun: Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69” with their purchase of a pair of tickets from participating venues. Every pair of tickets purchased comes with one (1) physical CD of “Machine Gun”.
Experience Hendrix Tour dates:
Feb. 17 – Portland, OR – Schnitzer Hall
Feb. 18 – Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Theater
Feb. 19 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theater
Feb. 20 – Eugene, OR – Hult Center
Feb. 22 – Davis, CA – Mondavi Center
Feb. 23 – Santa Rosa, CA – Luther Burbank Center
Feb. 24 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Feb. 25 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Casino
Feb. 28 – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theater
Mar. 01 – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern
Mar. 03 – Indio, CA – Fantasy Springs Casino
Mar. 04 – Valley Center, CA – Harrahs Events Center
Mar. 06 – Salt Lake City, UT – Eccles Theatre
Mar. 07 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theater
Mar. 09 – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theatre
Mar. 10 – Jackson, MS – Thalia Mara Hall
Mar. 11 – Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
Mar. 12 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theater
Mar. 15 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theater
Mar. 16 – Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theater
Mar. 17 – Tulsa, OK – Hard Rock Casino
Mar. 18 – St. Louis, MO – Peabody Opera House
Mar. 19 – Louisville, KY – The Palace Theater
Mar. 21 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theater
Mar. 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Mar. 23 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
Mar. 25 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
Mar. 26 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino
Zakk Sabbath
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 28 – Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
Sep. 30 – Lakewood, NJ @ First Energy Park – Rock Carnival *
Oct. 01 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Oct. 02 – Louisville, KY @ Champions Park – Louder Than Life *
Oct. 04 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
Oct. 05 – Atlanta, GA @ The Buckhead Theatre
Oct. 07 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre Street Stage
Oct. 08 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
Oct. 10 – Little Rock, AR @ Metroplex
Oct. 11 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
Oct. 12 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
Oct. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
Oct. 15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
Oct. 16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
Oct. 18 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
Oct. 20 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
Oct. 21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Oct. 22 – Sioux City, IA @ Anthem at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Oct. 24 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note ** NO Zakk Sabbath
Oct. 25 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Oct. 27 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
Oct. 28 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
Oct. 29 – Clifton Park, NY @Upstate Concert Hall
Oct. 30 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
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