Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds don’t do thing by the book… and announcing a Nashville pop-up show with only two hours of warning – and featuring a go-go dancer on stage – are two good examples of that.
We’re only days away from the artist formerly known as Sturgill Simpson hitting the road and bringing the Mutiny for the Masses Tour to… well, the masses. It’s been a fun year to be a JBS fan, with the rollout of Mutiny After Midnight and everything that came with that, and soon, faithful and fellow pirates will be able to “set sail” and hear Johnny Blue Skies play some of his new, hedonistic disco music live.
It appears that not even Sturgill could wait until the first date on the tour calendar (September 4 in Austin, TX), because he and The Dark Clouds did a pop-up show in Nashville last night, and only gave fans a heads up of a couple hours:
“TONIGHT AT THE COBRA!!! Doors at 7:30 pm… music starts 9 pm sharp. First come first serve.”
$25 to see Johnny Blue Skies in a 200-seat venue is a steal.
The setlist for the intimate concert was packed with new music (like “Stay On That” and “Situation”), old classics (like “Call To Arms” and “Best Clockmaker on Mars”), familiar covers (“Party All The Time” and “Purple Rain”), and some covers that JBS hasn’t ever tackled before (Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Life During Wartime” by Talking Heads).
It was one hell of a show, and in a rare change of pace for Johnny Blue Skies/Sturgill Simpson, the artist finally decided to add some “extra entertainment” into his concert. While other artists are turning to big video screens, and pyrotechnics, JBS likes to keep his on-stage entertainment simple.
There was a stripper pole and a go-go dancer on stage:
@johnnyblueskiesarchive #johnnyblueskies #sturgillsimpson #nashville #concert #fyp ♬ original sound johnnyblueskiesarchive
Another angle:
@copernicus_369 💃 🪩 🕺 #johnnyblueskies ♬ original sound copernicus_369
From what I’ve seen, the Cobra in East Nashville typically does not have a pole on the stage. So there’s a chance that isn’t just a one-off when it comes to Johnny Blue Skies’ on-stage entertainment. It could be a feature for the tour.
Like I mentioned a second ago, Stu is not usually one to add much extra to his concerts. When I saw him last year, there was no opener, no video screen, and no fancy light show… and it was awesome. If he heard some fans saying he should add a little something to his shows, this might be how he’s answering that call.
I guess we’ll all find out when Disco Stu comes to a town near you:
Mutiny For The Masses Tour Dates
Sep 4 -Austin, TX -Moody Center
Sep 6 -Rio Rancho, NM -Rio Rancho Events Center
Sep 8 -Glendale, AZ -Desert Diamond Arena
Sep 9 -Santa Barbara, CA -Santa Barbara Bowl
Sep 11 -Inglewood, CA -Kia Forum
Sep 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Sep 15 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre
Sep 18 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sep 19 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum
Sep 21 – Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena
Sep 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sep 26 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Sep 27 – St. Paul, MN – Grand Casino Arena
Sep 29 -Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct 2 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Oct 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Oct 6 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Oct 7 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Oct 9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
Oct 10 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Oct 13 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Oct 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Oct 16 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Oct 18 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Oct 21 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
Oct 23 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
Oct 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Oct 27 – New Orleans, LA – Lakefront Arena
Oct 30 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
