The end of an era? Maybe…
After 20 years in the business, Rascal Flatts is officially calling it quits, at least for the foreseeable future. The trio broke the news in the form of a farewell concert titled, Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is A Highway Tour.
In a press release, Gary, Jay and Joe Don reflected back on the past 20 years:
“When we started out 20 years ago, we could not imagine all of the people, places and gifts we would encounter,” said Gary LeVox. “The greatest feeling ever, is being told that our music has been the soundtrack to their lives. What greater gift can an artist receive than to be told ‘I got married to “Bless The Broken Road,”’ or ‘We played “My Wish” at my graduation.’ That ‘“What Hurts The Most” is the song that made me love country music for the first time,’ or ‘“I’m Movin’ On” helped me get sober’ or even that ‘“Changed” made me call my family again after not talking to them for years.’ That’s why we create music and the reason we can’t wait to celebrate this incredible 20 year journey all year, with our fans who we love dearly. I don’t know what God has in store for the future, but I am excited to see what He has planned!”
“We’re really looking forward to getting to spend this entire year loving on our fans, and thanking them for allowing us to have the most amazing career over the last 20 years,” added Jay DeMarcus. “While it is of course bittersweet, it is so important to us to celebrate what our music has meant to their lives, as well as what the fans have meant to us. There is no sadness here, just new chapters, new journeys, and new beginnings. Rascal Flatts’ music will live on forever, because of our fans, and this year is all about them!”
“Dreams do come true… and we are three walking examples of this truth,” said Joe Don Rooney. “I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve pursued our dreams together and with courage, hard-work and dedication we’ve been able to cultivate our dreams into reality; it’s simply incredible! There’s no doubt we have been blessed way beyond belief and we can’t wait to spend the rest of 2020 expressing our love and appreciation to all of our devoted fans, music industry friends and our families for believing in us and playing a major role in our path to here. And, I personally can’t wait to shine a light on my brothers Jay and Gary this year, and make another mountain of new memories with them.”
I mean, let’s be honest… it’s probably a good time to put a bow on this thing. When you’re all pushing 50, still have haircuts like that, and you’re wearing track pants on stage (looking at you Jay), it’s probably time to hang it up.
That being said, I’m pretty sure Lynyrd Skynyrd has been a farewell tour for like 5 years now, so who really knows if this is truly the end. Right now, it is, but there’s always the chance (probably a good one) for any band to get back together. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get the itch to get back together some day.
In the mean time, I know you all can’t wait for that Gary “The Voice” LeVox solo project. How could a man named “The Voice” not put out a solo project?
The farewell tour will kick off on June 11 in Indianapolis, and run through October 17th, ending in West Palm Beach, Florida.
RASCAL FLATTS FAREWELL: LIFE IS A HIGHWAY TOUR Official Dates:
6/11 Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
6/12 Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
6/13 Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
6/25 Chicago, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
6/27 Pittsburgh, PA – S&T Bank Music Park
7/18 Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
7/23 St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/3 Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
9/4 Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
9/5 Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/10 Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9/11 Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
9/12 Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
9/17 Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
9/18 Boston, MA – Xfinity Center
9/19 Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
10/1 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
10/2 San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/3 Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
10/7 Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10/9 Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
10/10 Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
10/15 Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
10/16 Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/17 West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
