Over the years, numerous iconic rock bands have embarked on what they declared as their farewell tours. However, many of these bands have found themselves drawn back to the stage despite bidding farewell to their fans.
A prime example of this trend was the legendary group The Band, originally known for backing Bob Dylan before making their mark in the late 1960s. The Band’s supposed farewell concert, named The Last Waltz, took place at San Francisco’s Winterland Arena on Thanksgiving in 1976. Surprisingly, in 1983, some band members launched a reunion tour without their leader Robbie Robertson.
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) officially disbanded in 1986 following the departure of lead vocalist Jeff Lynne three years earlier. In an intriguing turn of events, ELO’s remaining members regrouped as “ELO Part II” in 1989 and continued touring for over a decade.
The Doobie Brothers also fell into this pattern, as they embarked on a farewell tour in 1982 and later released a live album commemorating the tour. However, the band reunited in 1989 and resumed performing. Their 50th-anniversary tour, initially set to begin in June 2020, had to be postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Remarkably, the tour extended into 2023.
Although the band has not yet scheduled a second farewell tour, this behavior suggests they might.
Aerosmith, a classic rock band, is among the most recent to announce a farewell tour named the Peace Out Farewell Tour, commencing on September 2 in Philadelphia and concluding on January 26 in Montreal. Notably, the band had a lengthy residency at MGM Resorts International’s Park MGM in Las Vegas from April 2019 to November 2022. Given the history of bands returning after farewell tours, it wouldn’t be surprising if Aerosmith stages another residency in Las Vegas.
Foreigner, a beloved rock band from the 1970s, joined the ranks of farewell tours with its Historic Farewell Tour, which began on July 6 in Atlanta and is set to conclude on March 13, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida. In conjunction with the tour, the band released a new LP titled “Farewell – The Very Best of Foreigner” on gold vinyl.
Before embarking on the farewell tour, Foreigner performed a residency on the Las Vegas Strip earlier in the year, with eight shows in March and April. This residency took place at the Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Resort. This engagement followed a similar eight-show residency at the same venue in March and April of 2022. The band had previously planned a residency starting in January 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans after a few shows.
Remarkably drawn to the Las Vegas Strip, Foreigner has scheduled a 16-show farewell residency at the Venetian Theatre, beginning shortly after their farewell tour concludes. The residency will kick off with shows on March 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, April 3, 5, and 6, 2024. Following a six-month hiatus, the band will wrap up the farewell residency with shows on October 25, 26, 30, November 1, 2, 6, 8, and 9, 2024. All performances are slated to start at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets for the farewell residency will go on sale at 10 a.m. Pacific time on September 1, available at Ticketmaster.com or The Venetian Resort box offices. Presales for Citi cardmembers, Artist, Official Platinum, and VIP Packages will commence on August 29 at 10 a.m. Pacific. Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and Venetian presales will follow on August 30 at 10 a.m. Pacific.
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