Rock and roll will never die, so the saying goes. It turns out at least some rockers never will die, either.
It’s now becoming common to see Rock and Roll Hall of Famers tour into their late ’70s and beyond, with many claiming they don’t see an end in sight.
Back in 2023, I wrote three columns about that very trend and asked a simple question about aging rockers: What are the chances we’ll see them play the Twin Cities again?
Turns out a lot can change in two years, and last month, I wrote another column with updates for the likes of Billy Joel, Paul Simon and Aerosmith.
Here’s an update on five more and, spoiler alert, four of them will be playing in the Twin Cities in the coming months.
Neil Young
Neil Young performs at the 30th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Mountain View, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
Age: 79
Last seen: A four-night run of solo shows in 2019 at Minneapolis venues: Pantages Theatre (Jan. 26), Orpheum Theatre (Jan. 28), State Theatre (Jan. 29) and Northrop Auditorium (Jan. 31).
The dirt: Toronto native Neil Young began performing as a teenager in 1963 and hasn’t stopped since. After moving to Los Angeles in 1966, he formed the psychedelic folk rock band Buffalo Springfield. The group burned hot and fast, scoring a Top 10 hit (“For What It’s Worth”) and breaking up after just two albums. (A third, “Last Time Around,” was compiled from previous recordings to fulfill a contractual obligation.)
Young briefly joined the supergroup Crosby, Stills and Nash and released his solo debut in 1968. He has barely slowed down since and, last month, issued his 48th album, “Talkin to the Trees.” He’s one of the 28 double inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a solo artist and member of Buffalo Springfield.
In a 2022 interview with the New Yorker, Young said he has thought about retiring: “Doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. That could happen. You get to a point in life where things are happening everywhere around you, and your friends are going away and not coming back. Things change.”
Last summer, Young canceled a string of live dates due to illness in his band. He explained in a video he released at the time: “I was doing great, and we were moving right along. Everybody was loving the shows. Then I just woke up one morning on the bus and I said, ‘I can’t do this. I gotta stop.’ It was like I felt sick when I thought of going on stage.”
Will we see him again: Young did return to the road earlier this year and played several European festivals last month.
He’s booked to play the first-ever Farm Aid in Minnesota on Sept. 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price. It could also serve as his swan song in the state.
Foreigner
Kelly Hansen of Foreigner entertains a fan during the band’s concert Thursday, July 17, 2014, at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Foreigner co-headlined the night with Styx. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)
Ages: Mick Jones, 80; Kelly Hansen, 64; Luis Maldonado, 51; Jeff Pilson, 67; Michael Bluestein, 38; Bruce Watson, 66; Chris Frazier, 57.
Last seen: The closest they’ve come to the metro in recent years was a Treasure Island Casino show on May 12, 2023. (The band frequently plays casinos around the state.)
The dirt: English guitarist Mick Jones formed the band in 1976 and landed 15 Top 20 hits with original vocalist Lou Gramm, including “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
Gramm left the group in 1990, but returned for another decade-long run two years later. After Gramm’s second departure in 2003, Jones briefly put the band on hiatus and returned to action in 2005 with a new lineup featuring vocalist Kelly Hansen, who turned out to be an ideal fit for the band.
Over the past decade, during which time two original members died, Jones’ various health issues have kept him from full-time touring. In late 2022, the band announced a farewell tour that kept getting extended. Last year, Gramm returned occasionally to perform with Foreigner as a special guest. Hansen, meanwhile, says he’s retiring after the summer tour ends.
Will we see them again: Foreigner headlines the first night of the Lakefront Music Fest on July 11. (Miranda Lambert tops the bill the following night.)
That said, this past week the band announced guitarist Luis Maldonado would take over vocals after Hansen’s exit, and that Foreigner’s not done quite yet. As bassist Jeff Pilson told Billboard: “There’s just a lot of forward movement, and the band is incredibly excited. What started off as being a farewell tour now ended up being Kelly’s last tour and (the band) moving forward.”
Eagles
The Eagles opened a two-night stand at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center on Friday, Nov. 17. (Joe Lemke / Special to the Pioneer Press)
Ages: Don Henley, 77; Joe Walsh, 77; Timothy B. Schmit, 77; Vince Gill, 68.
Last seen: Nov. 17-18, 2023; Xcel Energy Center.
The dirt: One of the biggest-selling bands of all time, the Eagles had a messy breakup in 1980 that left little hope for the band’s future. But the allure of a huge reunion payday brought them back together in 1994 and they spent the next 22 years raking in the dough.
It looked like it was over once again when co-founder Glenn Frey died in January 2016. Don Henley invited Jackson Browne to join the band for a tribute performance at the Grammys for what he said was the band’s final gig. But just two years later, Henley revived the Eagles with an expanded lineup that included Frey’s son, Deacon, country music star Vince Gill and Henley’s son, Will. The additions, particularly Gill, worked well and allowed the ever-scowling Henley to share the spotlight. Will Henley only lasted a year and Deacon Frey left in 2022 to pursue a solo career.
In 2023, the band announced a farewell tour that brought them to the X for two nights that November. The tour continued into 2024 and then in September they began a residency at the new Sphere venue in Las Vegas. It’s been extended several times and now is scheduled to run through November.
Will we see them again: Two years ago in this space I wrote that it wouldn’t surprise me if they mounted another another joint stadium tour with Jimmy Buffett (then age 76) as they did in 2018. But Buffett died later that year, scotching those plans. So is the Sphere really the end of the Eagles? Maybe?
Steve Nicks
Age: 77
Last seen: Nov. 10, 2023 (with Billy Joel); U.S. Bank Stadium.
The dirt: Fleetwood Mac has had numerous lineups over the decades, the most famous being the one that recorded “Rumours”: Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine and John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. The five reunited in 1993 to play President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration and four years later they hit the road together. Christine McVie left the band after the shows, but the remaining four kept it going, raking in big bucks from nostalgic boomers.
In 2014, Christine McVie came out of retirement and joined Fleetwood Mac for a tour that began at Target Center. But the latest reunion proved to be short lived as Nicks and company kicked Buckingham out of the group in 2018 and replaced him with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist/songwriter Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn.
Christine McVie died in November 2022, and Nicks has said several times since that Fleetwood Mac is done for good.
Will we see her again: So what about Nicks’ solo career? It’s still going strong. In October, she served as the musical guest on the 50th season of “Saturday Night Live” and released a new single, “The Lighthouse.” She’s booked to play the X on Aug. 19.
Nicks talked to Rolling Stone in November and said she’s working on a new album and has no plans to stop: “As long as you can dance, you are youthful. I’m 76, but I’m just incredibly limber. The dancing really comes from that. (Nicks pauses and wraps her leg around her head to demonstrate.) What I wanted to do my whole life was affect people. I love telling my stories onstage. That is what makes me happy, and that’s why I’ll never stop touring. Because if I stop touring, then I’ll stop dancing.”
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson performs during the Farm Aid Music Festival at the Ruoff Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP) (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)
Age: 92
Last seen: Aug. 2, 2019; Target Center.
The dirt: With his hippie hair and headbands — and a voice that resonates with wisdom, but not weariness — Willie Nelson has seemed like an old dude for decades now. But he has continued to chug along and has survived any number of obstacles that would have killed the career of a mere mortal, including a lung collapse that led to a series of health problems, a serious run-in with the IRS and numerous arrests for marijuana possession.
And yet, the weed-loving crooner marches forward. In 2023, he performed two nights at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate his 90th birthday and was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after decades of eligibility. He also won his 11th and 12th Grammy Awards for best country album (“A Beautiful Time”) and best country solo performance (“Live Forever”).
In April, Nelson issued “Oh What a Beautiful World,” his 77th album overall and ninth since 2020.
Will we see him again: Nelson brought his Outlaw Music Festival to Somerset (Wis.) Amphitheater in 2023 and 2024 and has played shows in Moorhead and Duluth in recent years.
Nelson is set to play Farm Aid in Minneapolis on Sept. 20, which also happens to be the final tour date currently listed on his website. But at the rate he’s going, don’t be surprised if this guy ends up touring for another decade.
Related Articles
Music in the Trees returning to Belwin Conservancy in Afton
Maroon 5 to play first local concert in seven years
What to know about this weekend’s Twin Cities Jazz Festival in Mears Park
Concert review: James Taylor gently rocked glowing Xcel Energy Center crowd
Concert review: The Weeknd thrilled sold-out U.S. Bank Stadium with stylish show
Leave a Reply