Lynyrd Skynyrd are heading back on the road — and have decided to scrap their “Last Of The Street Survivors Farewell Tour,” instead dubbing the new run — the “Big Wheels Keep On Turnin' Tour.” As it stands now, Skynyrd kicks the 30-date tour off on June 13th in Forest City, Iowa at the Country Thunder Iowa, and wraps things up on November 19th at Bossier City, Louisiana's Brookshire Grocery Arena.
Tesla is on board as the primary opener for the majority of the tour, with Kansas, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Blackberry Smoke, Allman Betts Band, and the Marshall Tucker Band warming up for Skynyrd at assorted stops.
Frontman Johnny Van Zant — who recently battled the coronavirus — explained the band's change of heart regarding the road: “We were two shows into the end of the three-year plan for the farewell tour, when the virus hit and everything was just gone. Once something is taken away from you — music and touring in our case — you truly realize how important it is and such a part of your life. Music is a great healer, and that’s what we all turn to when things are good or bad. A Skynyrd show is a family affair, and we want these dates to help heal our fans as much as ourselves.”
Skynyrd's sole surviving co-founding member, guitarist Gary Rossington added, “Covid turned our world upside down. And since that time, we have been talking amongst the band, and realized that music has such a way of healing. Maybe it’s not our time to go. And maybe it’s our time to lift people’s spirits and lives and bring back some joy and happiness after so much turmoil this past year. We’re still standing, still keeping the music going.”
Gary Rossington told us that he's both proud and amazed at Skynyrd's longevity: “My mind's blown that we've been around this long and still doing it, and we're God-blessed in that way. Y'know, a lot of groups don't have this longevity and stuff, and it's just great to be here doing it. I don't know — it's hard to talk about, because it's not relatable, y'know? There's only a few people or a few bands that have been around this long.”
JUST ANNOUNCED: Lynyrd Skynyrd 2021 tour dates (subject to change):
June 13 – Forest City, IA – Country Thunder Iowa
June 18, 19 – Ft. Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas
July 22 – Shallop, MN – Twin Cities Summer Jam
July 23 – Minot, ND – North Dakota State Fair
August 9 – Canton, OH – Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
August 10 – Jackson, MI – Jackson County Fair
August 13 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
August 14 – Cullman, AL – Rock The South
August 19 – Canandaigua, NY – CMAC
August 20 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
August 22 – Wildwood, NJ – Barefoot Country Music Festival
August 27 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
August 28 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
September 3 – Paducah, KY – Touchdowns and Tunes Tailgate Party
September 4 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
September 17 – Selbyville, DE – Freeman Arts Pavilion
September 18 – Doswell, VA – After Hours Concerts at the Meadow Event Park
September 23 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
September 27 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
October 1 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater
October 2 – Laughlin, NV – Laughlin Event Center
October 8 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
October 9 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
November 5 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson Boling Arena
November 6 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
November 13 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
November 14 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville
November 19 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena
