This might seem like an absurd warning from an artist… but if you’ve ever been to a Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies show, you know it’s a PSA that incredibly warranted.
Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds have mastered the art of the 3-hour show. The artist formerly known as Sturgill is out on his Mutiny for the Masses Tour right now, and each stop along the way, his band shows up – with no opener – jams for over 3 hours, and then moves on to the next city to give them the best live show they’ve ever seen.
It’s remarkable, and for my money, no one else in all of entertainment is doing it like JBS.
Granted, a 3-hour marathon of a show (that often times feels like a sprint) isn’t for everyone. Some artists feel like giving fans an hour and a half or 2 hours is plenty. Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds don’t agree with that. They play for so long that Sturgill is even taking a moment out of his sets to encourage… stretching.
At a recent tour stop, and at many of the stops that have been graced by the Dread Pirate and his pirate ship, Simpson takes a second to remind those in attendance to stretch. And though it’s probably done more so in a joking fashion, it’s good and helpful advice. It’s undoubtedly a long show, and he and his band know it:
“This is usually about the time I want to remind everybody to make sure to stretch. Bend your knees. You don’t want to pass out or black out. Your friends will absolutely video tape your ass and put that sh*t on the internet.”
Some fans might just view a video like that as souvenir.
It’s hilarious to see that Johnny Blue Skies is, effectively, implementing a seventh inning stretch into his concerts. And it’s honestly great advice. His set lists easily surpass 30-plus songs on any given night. The least you can do as an audience member is practice some simple stretching to go along with the multiple hours of 12-ounce-curls.
Oh, and if you were on the fence about going to see Johnny Blue Skies this go-around, I’d highly reconsider. He’s already made it clear that he and his band are going to go away for a while after this tour. Feels like if “Disco Stu” is near you, you’ve got to go for it. Otherwise, you’d have to wait a while for him to come back to town.
You can check below to see where Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds will be playing for the next month or so:
Mutiny For The Masses Tour Dates
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
