Mr. Big (L-R): Billy Sheehan, Eric Martin and Paul Gilbert (Photo: Stephen van Baalen; used with permission)
Mr. Big have announced 2024 dates in which they are putting on their signature top hats and old shoes one last time on a worldwide tour, aptly titled “The BIG Finish.” Since the band’s original drummer and co-founder, Pat Torpey, lost his battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, the band felt it was time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy. The first leg took the band to Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023 while shows in South America, Europe, and the U.S. will launch in early 2024 with more to be announced. Their nightly set includes a performance of their 1991 breakthrough album, Lean Into It, including their #1 smash, “To Be With You,” in its entirety.
After 35 years, the band felt it was finally time to come together for one final, extended curtain call. “We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it,” said bassist-vocalist Billy Sheehan in the tour’s original March 6, 2023, announcement. Guitarist-vocalist Paul Gilbert added, “We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music.” Lead vocalist Eric Martin said, “If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to The BIG Finish!’ Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as Mr. Big again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.”
Joining Mr. Big on drums for the special tour will be longtime friend of the band Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train), stepping in for Torpey. “Nick has a vocal range similar to Pat’s, and he’ll be able to do the parts Pat did with a similar finesse,” said Sheehan, who turned 70 on March 19. “It’s a big relief because Mr. Big has always been heavy on the harmonies. When the band began, we really relied on each other. We knew each guy would do exactly what he needed to do vocally and to do it righteously, on key, and in time. It’s difficult to find a drummer who sings in that range, but Nick has the voice we really need onstage.”
Said Martin, “I love playing with these guys. And if I’m being honest, I don’t want it to ever end. I’m the guy who just knows we still have that special spark together, and I always want to keep the torch burning. But if it really is the end, then I want us all to have a happy ending together. We’re a great live band. I want everybody to come out and see us, because we want to blow you away and have you all think as you’re leaving, ‘Mr. Big really is the real thing.’”
Watch them perform a favorite in 2023
Mr. Big 2024 Tour (Tickets are available here and here)
Jan 12 – Houston, TX – Rise Rooftop
Jan 13 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum
Jan 17 – Key West, FL – Rokisland Fest
Jan 20 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
Jan 21 – Clearwater, FL – Capitol Theatre
Jan 23 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
Jan 24 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Jan 26 – Cincinnati, OH – Ludlow Garage
Jan 28 – Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
Jan 30 – Portland, ME – Aura
Jan 31 – Patchogue, NY – Patchogue Theater
Feb 02 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Feb 03 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
Feb 06 – New York, NY – Sony Hall
Feb 07 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
Feb 09 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
Feb 14 – Wabash, IN – Honeywell Center
Feb 16 – Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theatre
Feb 17 – Green Bay, WI – Epic Event Center
Feb 20 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Theatre
Feb 21 – Minneapolis, MN – Fitzgerald Theater
Feb 23 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
Feb 24 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
Mar 17 – Koln, Germany – Carlswerk Victoria
Mar 19 – Nottingham, UK – Rock City
Mar 20 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz Manchester
Mar 22 – Wolverhampton, UK – KK’s Steel Mill
Mar 23 – London, UK – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Mar 25 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
Mar 26 – Paris, France – Bataclan
Mar 28 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Riviera
Mar 30 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz
Apr 01 – Zurich, Switzerland – Komplex
Apr 03 – Milan, Italy – Live Club
Apr 04 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Kino Siska
Apr 06 – Bratislava, Slovakia – MMC
Apr 07 – Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
Apr 09 – Kosice, Slovakia – Kulturpark
Apr 11 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
Apr 12 – Berlin, Germany – Metropol
Apr 14 – Maastricht, Netherlands – Muziekgieterij
Apr 15 – Esch-sur-alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal
More dates to be announced.
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