Following a nearly year-long hiatus, Deep Purple has officially kicked off their 2019 U.S. Long Goodbye Tour in Riverside, California. However, don’t get too comfortable with the idea of a goodbye. In fact, disregard it altogether because this will not be the final run of the tour. Setting out on what is now the eighth leg of The Long Goodbye Tour, Deep Purple have no immediate plans to bid farewell to their loyal fans around the world.
With more dates already scheduled beyond the U.S tour at the end of the year, we can confidently say that Deep Purple will still emphasize the Long Goodbye as they continue to trek around the world. How lucky are we?
Since the late ‘60s Deep Purple has harbored their distinct sound, becoming one of the most legendary rock bands of all time. With countless unmatched hits and over eighty studio, live and compilation albums under their belt, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have made their mark on the world of rock and roll and they aren’t ready to stop just yet.
Known as one of the original pioneers of metal rock, Deep Purple’s catalogue contains some of the most distinct records to this day. Having already played over one hundred-twenty shows since the beginning of The Long Goodbye tour, it’s no surprise that members Ian Paice (drums), Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass), Steve Morse (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards) brought out all the stops for their U.S. kickoff last night.
While the show itself was relatively simple in regard to production, the music alone was all fans needed in Riverside. It was an environment desperate for music, and nothing else. Luckily, Deep Purple delivered as they rolled through a fourteen-song setlist at the Fox Performing Arts Center.
Opening the show with their 1972 hit “Highway Star,” the band immediately made their presence known with Morse’s loud guitar riffs and Gillan’s irreplicable vocals. Continuing with one of their most performed songs live, “Pictures of Home,” the band quickly changed gears as they jammed through a couple of deeper cuts like “Bloodsucker,” “Demon’s Eye” and “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming.”
As the crowd lingered in the more unexpected hits, the guys reverted back to another classic and their fifth-most played song live “Lazy” before touching on their most recent album Infinite with the 2017 hit “Time for Bedlam.”
Rounding out the second half of their first set with “Perfect Strangers,” “Space Truckin’ ” and “Smoke On the Water,” Deep Purple bid a brief goodbye to fans as they left the stage, only to return just a couple moments later to begin a two-song encore.
Ensuring the same stage presence as the start of the show, the band stepped back on stage with a purpose— to end with no regrets. Fortunately, the metal legends did just that as they performed extended versions of two of their most famous records, “Hush” and “Black Night.” With Paice, Glover, and Morse behind him, Ian Gillan gave the crowd all he had in those final moments, delivering the classic Deep Purple sound fans came to hear.
If this was only the first date on The 2019 Long Goodbye Tour, we can only imagine what the rest of the run holds. Regardless, this is a show you simply can’t afford to miss. Check out all of Deep Purple’s remaining 2019 U.S. tour dates below and don’t forget to grab your tickets at LiveNation!
Deep Purple Long Goodbye 2019 Tour dates:
09/03 – Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts Center
09/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
09/06 – Temecula, CA @ Pechanga Theater
09/07 – Murphys, CA @ Ironstone Amphitheatre
09/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
09/10 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
09/11 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
09/13 – Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre
09/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
09/15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Hall at Eccles Theater
09/17 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
09/19 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
09/20 – Shawnee, OK @ FireLake Arena
09/21 – Tulsa, OK @ The Joint at Hard Rock
09/23 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
09/24 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre
09/26 – Orlando, FL @ Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
09/27 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theatre
09/29 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca Cola Roxy
09/30 – Nashville, TN @ Andrew Jackson Hall
10/02 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
10/04 – Monticello, NY @ Resorts World Catskills Epicenter
10/05 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
10/06 – Portland, ME @ Merrill Auditorium
10/08 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
10/09 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
10/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre
10/12 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre
10/13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
10/15 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
10/16 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park
10/18 – Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre
10/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
