The B-52s were very generous with the poster real estate here for their special guests – very classy, guys

If you were paying attention to the comments on yesterday’s post, you knew that OMD were in Charlotte this summer. The bigger picture is that The B-52s are celebrating their 40th anniversary with a [what else?] fun summer tour. Well, with those guys it could never be dour. Maybe if Joy Division still existed they might be the only ones doing a dour 40th anniversary tour. And yes, our heroes OMD are once again swept into a long US tour with at least a much better and more appropriate headliner to hitch their wagon to. The B-52’s. And rounding out the bill from the same basic peer group are Berlin. Three bands I have paid to see headline in my life and times. Some, in multiple instances.

The big daddy B-52’s tour has a hefty 27 dates and will thread through various locales of North America that come fairly close to hitting most of the required marks. Interestingly enough, Berlin and OMD will also be headlining their own shows in and amongst those 27 dates, so that those who want a full meal from those bands will get several chances.  Where will this party stop?

Berlin headlining
May 24, 2019 | Agoura, CA | The Canyon
May 28, 2019 | Santa Clarita, CA | The Canyon – Santa Clarita
June 14, 2019 | Reno, NV | BBQ, Brews & Blues Festival
June 22, 2019 | Montclair, CA | The Canyon
July 5, 2019 | Milwaukee, WI | Summerfest
July 6, 2019 | Nashville, TN | The Cowan
July 24, 2019 | Paso Robles, CA | California Mid-state Fair
July 28, 2019 | Costa Mesa, CA | The Hangar @ Oc Fair
August 3, 2019 | San Diego, CA | Embarcadero Marina Park

B52’s/OMD/BERLIN [leg 1]
Aug. 04, 2019 | Los Angeles, CA | Microsoft Theater
Aug. 06, 2019 | Portland, OR | Oregon Zoo Amphitheater
Aug. 07, 2019 | Seattle, WA | Becu Zootunes Concert Series
Aug. 10, 2019 | Bend, OR | Les Schwab Amphitheater
Aug. 11, 2019 | Murphys, CA | Ironstone Amphitheatre
Aug. 12, 2019 | Saratoga, CA | The Mountain Winery
Aug. 14, 2019 | Phoenix, AZ | Comerica Theatre
Aug. 16, 2019 | Salt Lake City, UT | Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
Aug. 18, 2019 | Greenwood Village, CO | Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Aug. 21, 2019 | San Antonio, TX | The Majestic Theater
Aug. 22, 2019 | Austin, TX | Bass Concert Hall
Aug. 24 ,2019 | Sugarland, TX | Smart Financial Centre
Aug. 25, 2019 | New Orleans, LA | Saenger Theatre
Aug. 28, 2019 | Clearwater, FL | Ruth Eckerd Hall
Aug. 29, 2019 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Broward Center

OMD headlining
Aug. 30, 2019 | Ponte Vedra, FL | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Aug. 31, 2019 | Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore
Sept. 3, 2019 | Nashville, TN | Cannery Ballroom
Sept. 4, 2019 | Cincinnati, OH | Bogart’s

B52’s/OMD/BERLIN [leg 2]
Sept. 06, 2019 | Greensboro, NC | White Oak Amphitheatre At Greensboro Coliseum
Sept. 07, 2019 | Atlanta, GA | Cadence Bank Amphitheatre At Chastain Park
Sept. 08, 2019 | Huber Heights, OH | Rose Music Center At The Heights
Sept. 11, 2019 | Grand Rapids, MI | Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts At Meijer Gardens
Sept. 13, 2019 | Toronto, ON | Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
Sept. 14, 2019 | Rochester Hills, MI | Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sept. 17, 2019 | Washington, DC | The Anthem
Sept. 19, 2019 | Philadelphia, PA | Mann Center For The Performing Arts
Sept. 20, 2019 | Mashantucket, CT | Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater
Sept. 21, 2019 | North Tonawanda, NY | Riviera Theatre And Performing Arts Center
Sept. 22, 2019 | Cleveland, OH | House Of Blues Cleveland
Sept. 24, 2019 | New York, NY | Summerstage – Central Park

In my own case, the B-52s are doing a July 26th solo headliner at the nearby Biltmore Estate, just a week or so in advance of this big package tour, but I won’t be biting for that. I saw The B-52’s twice on their “Cosmic Thing” tour in 1989-1991 and that sufficed for me. I saw Berlin on their 1983 “Love Life” tour [my third concert ever] and I’ve not heard a note they’ve recorded afterward, save for the singles from “Count Three + Pray” and the ubiquitous “Take My Breath Away.” I have five notches on the concert belt for OMD. Goodness knows, that I felt like springing for them opening for Barenaked Ladies; a band I actually dislike, in Raleigh, NC three summers ago. But then, it had been five years since seeing them headline in Atlanta on a VIP ticket.

The fact that this cavalcade will be playing nearby Greensboro, NC, only two and a half hours away is intriguing to me. I’ve never seen a show in Greensboro, but I’m open to the idea; just not this time. It’s time to put the damper on out of town concert action as the money simply isn’t there now. We’ve done enough of that lately. It would have to be John Foxx at this point. Not bands we’ve seen previously.

Commenter Mel Creighton asked yesterday if I were attending the OMD headlining show in nearby Charlotte. That’s only two hours away, but the fact that I already saw them on the “Punishment Of Luxury” tour in Atlanta last year [and it was magnificent] doesn’t make me want to spend the buck$ necessary for a rematch just over a year later. I suspect that the show won’t diverge dramatically from what they delivered on that headlining tour. But if anyone else reading this in earshot of Charlotte [or Jacksonville, Nashville, and Cincinnati] would consider going, by all means I encourage this! OMD are working on a high plane right now.

In fact people who see those four headliner shows of OMD in the middle of the tour are the real winners, no matter how nice a package this is, because ultimately, the factor staying my hand for the big tour is that in every case this will be three bands you like, performing their greatest hits collection on the summer shed circuit. A safe, comfortable show with few surprises. I’ve seen OMD do that in 2016, and I’m sated on that level. But for anyone else, here’s the ticket links for Berlin, OMD, and the B-52’s.

Holy Toledo! Those Charlotte tickets for OMD are only $25 general admission on TicketMobster®.

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