B.B. King Tour
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B.B. King 2014 Tour Opening Band: Anthony Gomes; Eric Demmer & the Sax Dogs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What songs will B.B. King play in Concert?
B.B King likes to play around with his setlists and only plays about three or four original B.B. King tracks. Considering he has about thirty albums to his credit, this seems puzzling. He almost always brings out the original composition “Rock Me Baby,” which is also one of his most popular songs. He drastically extends another fan favorite, “I Need You So,” to almost double its regular recorded length.
Interestingly, a B.B. King show is not about the setlist, at least not as a main focal point. He spends a large portion of his show chatting with the audience. He also does not sing all the lines of his songs, allowing the guitar work to replace his voice in key spots.
King brings some covers to the table. His rendition of “The Thrill is Gone” by the underappreciated artist, Rory Hawkins, is one of the only songs that is guaranteed to pop up at every show. Other cover songs included are “You Are My Sunshine” by the Pine Ridge Boys, Charles Segar’s classic “Key to the Highway”, and “Every Day I Have the Blues” by the Pine Top. His cover choices remain a bit obscure, for all intents and purposes.
B.B. King closes many of his shows with the traditional song “When the Saints Go Marching In.” He brilliantly composes the song alongside his eight piece backing band.
Sweet Sixteen
I Need You So
Every Day I Have the Blues
You Are My Sunshine
Key to the Highway
Rock Me Baby
How Blue Can You Get?
Darling You Know I Love You
Guess Who
The Thrill is Gone
When the Saints Go Marching In
Is it true that B.B. King is retiring?
This question has been asked every year for the last decade and a half. B.B. King, at 86, is still touring the country. The answer to this question is closer to actually happening than before considering the blues king’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Though no reports are confirmed, this is very likely to be B.B. King’s last extensive tour. He may continue to do a few shows in his remaining years, but its hard to see him keeping up this torrid pace.
What can I expect at a B.B. King show in 2014?
Fans will either be totally enthralled and engaged with B.B. King’s unconventional approach to a live show, or disappointed. Most shows consist of the King’s backing band jamming for about a half hour. The songs are purely instrumental, and they whip and weave through a number of excellent blues rock licks. After some time, B.B. King joins the stage.
King loves to talk with the audience, almost to a fault. He calls out certain members of the audience in a charming way, and tells extensive stories about his life. It is not unheard of for B.B. King to actually begin singing almost an hour into his set. The jazz king and the band like to play off each other and jam for a bit following his entrance and between his talking.
A B.B. King show is a unique experience in this regard. He may only get around to seven or so songs at each show, and half of them are covers.
Who is B.B. King’s publicist and press contact?
B.B King Road Shows is B.B. King’s booking and management agency. Publicist and Las Vegas office manager is Laverne Toney who has been with King for about 30 years. His New York office is run by Tina France and you can reach her at bbkingnyc@aol.com.
The B.B. King management staff and other contact information is located at the official B.B. King website.
How do I get access to presale tickets for B.B. King’s tour?
B.B. King only has presale tickets available through his fan club. It is worth noting that the fan club is not accepting any new memberships right now for an undisclosed reason. Fan club presales are separate from Ticketmaster entirely, and handled through Frontgate Tickets. The fan club offers a unique distribution for these tickets.
Concert Reviews
“Thirty years later and Mr. King can still raise an audience its feet. Last night at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, before he even spoke a word or played one note, he got a rapturous standing ovation befitting the 86-year-old king of the blues. While the audience began exiting before King left the stage, it’s important to remember everybody knew what they paid for: the privilege of seeing a living legend perform in Montreal one more – and maybe one last – time.” – Richard Burnett of the Montreal Gazette
“It has to be noted at this point that B.B. King is 88 years old, and he’s still touring across the country and playing for crowds of all ages. There simply aren’t very many people around these days that can do what B.B. King does – that artful balance of rehearsed numbers, improvisation, charming humor and engaging stories that always adds up to pure entertainment.” – Tamika Moore of Alabama Media Group
“Thirty-five minutes after the eight-piece band hit the stage — and 10 minutes after he’d said, “I’d better shut up and go to work” — King started his first song. He barked the lines of “I Need You So,” swaying in his chair, and by “Rock Me Baby” he and Lucille started heating up. King doesn’t ring chords or slide much; he bends strings and, while his staccato jabs might require a little more connecting of harmonious dots nowadays, once he finds his groove — he can really cook.” – Thomas Conner of the Chicago Sun-Times
Tour Archive
B.B King (2013)
Started January 1, 2013 in Orlando, Florida | Ended December 8. 2013 in Costa Mesa, California
B.B. King (2012)
Started January 1, 2012 in Orlando, Florida | Ended December 2. 2012 in Westbury, New York
B.B. King (2011)
Started January 1, 2011 in Alexandria, Virginia | Ended December 2, 2011 in Chandler, Arizona
B.B. King (2010)
Tour Opening Acts: Eric Essix
Started February 2, 2010 in Hollywood, Florida | Ended November 12, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
B.B. King (2009)
Started January 29, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois | Ended August 29, 2009 in Westbury, New York