The Go-Go’s say goodbye – Happily Ever After – The Farewell Tour
30 YEARS AFTER MAKING MUSIC HISTORY, THE GO-GO’S TO SAY GOODBYE
LOS ANGELES, CA – After 30 years together and a slew of chart-topping songs that defined an era, the Go-Go’s announce Happily Ever After – The Farewell Tour. Happily Ever After kicks off July 7, 2010 at Lilith Fair in San Diego, wraps up July 27 in Austin, and will include a live television performance on Good Morning America, July 16 in New York City.
In 1981, the Go-Go’s delivered Beauty And The Beat hot on the heels of their debut U.S. single “Our Lips Are Sealed.” The album garnered double-platinum status, reaching number one and becoming the first to top the Billboard charts by an all-female band that wrote and performed their own songs. 1982′s Vacation and 1984′s Talk Show continued their chart and radio successes and cemented the Go-Go’s as one of the most iconic and beloved groups of the 80s. The Go-Go’s released a much-celebrated anthology, Return to the Valley of The Go-Go’s in 1994, and 2001 marked the last studio album of new material, God Bless The Go-Go’s.
Their story truly is a punk version of the American Dream. They came, they saw and they conquered the charts and airwaves with their kicky kitsch and sparkling California appeal. Their smash hits, such as “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Head Over Heels,” and the aforementioned “Our Lips Are Sealed,” along with countless magazine covers, television performances, and high-profile concert tours, turned Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine into certified rock stars, and five feisty role models for generations of ready-to-rock girls. From their halcyon days as America’s sweethearts to their current status as superstars who pioneered a genre, the Go-Go’s preside over an amazing three-decade reign as high priestesses of pop.
Today, with the original lineup intact, the Go-Go’s live show continues to deliver every bit of the raw energy of their now-legendary punk beginnings, tempered with the wisdom of three decades of pop perfection. Don’t miss them on this farewell tour as they celebrate with, and say goodbye to, their devoted fans, before the Go-Go’s head into the happily ever after.
The 2010 Farewell Tour:
July 7 San Diego, CA Lilith Fair
July 8 Phoenix, AZ Lilith Fair
July 10 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Rays
July 11 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
July 14 Portsmouth, VA NTELOS Pavilion
July 15 Morristown, NJ Mayo Center for the Arts
July 16 New York, NY Good Morning America
July 17 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
July 19 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap
July 20 New York, NY Irving Plaza
July 22 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
July 24 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
July 26 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
July 27 Austin, TX Paramount Theater
The Go-Go’s are: Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine
For the latest info, check out their official website: GoGos.com
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OK, so where are the Bangles during all of this? I personally think it’s a missed opportunity not having a double-bill with both groups doing a farewell tour together. I guess Susanna Hoffs isn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.
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***UPDATE: June 10, 2010***
The Go-Go’s Farewell Tour has been cancelled!!
Here’s the official statement from The Go-Go’s:
It is with great regret that the Go-Go’s announce today the cancelation of Happily Ever After, their summer farewell tour. The tour was scheduled to kick off July 7 at Lilith Fair San Diego, and conclude in Austin, TX on July 27. The band will also be unable ‘o perform live on Good Morning America, scheduled for July 16 in New York’s Central Park.
The news comes as a result of guitarist Jane Wiedlin injuring herself after a 20-foot fall while hiking near her home in Northern California a couple of weeks ago. Jane is scheduled for ACL replacement surgery for her knee in the coming weeks, with a prognosis of up to a year recovery time.
The band is heartbroken and hopes their fans will send best wishes for Jane’s speedy recovery. In the meantime, tickets can be refunded at point of purchase.
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here's more from Jane (from her mailing list):
Dear pen-pals,
It is with heavy heart I tell you that the Go-Go’s tour has been cancelled. You may have already read about this online, or in a real newspaper (do those still exist?). Still, I wanted to personally tell you guys that it is always my intention to entertain and to please, and never to disappoint.
On the off-chance you didn’t hear yet, on May 21 I fell down a 20 foot cliff while hiking near my home in San Francisco. I knew something was terribly wrong with my knees as I rolled down the mountain, because there was a horrendously loud popping noise, like champagne being uncorked, but not nearly as fun!
To add insult to injury, two days later, while recuperating in bed, I realized that I must have rolled through poison oak and the rash was spreading all over my body. MISERY!!!!
So, I found out through an MRI that my left knee has an exploded ACL, which is the main tendon that holds your leg together at the knee. I am scheduled for surgery on 6/16, and my doctor tells me this can take up to a year to heal. Grrrr.
I don’t even know yet what is wrong with my right knee because my insurance would only pay for one MRI at a time. Once my left leg starts feeling a bit better, I will find out what my right leg requires.
So, though I didn’t mean to send my very first letter to my mailing list pals to be filled with BAD NEWS, I will just say I am really happy and flattered that you signed up to get news about me and LADY ROBOTIKA, my brand new COMIC BOOK!!
Lady R, being a cyborg and all, doesn’t have knee problems whatsoever, and the first issue will (finally) be launching on July 14. It only took us THREE YEARS to get Issue One completed. Luckily, from here on out we are obliged by our great publisher IMAGE COMICS, to release one episode per month. So the wait time will be seriously shorter!
At this time, I hope to be able to attend San Diego Comic Con for one day, on Friday July 23, since sitting in a chair for a couple hours and signing stuff is not nearly as taxing as traveling to a different city every day for a month to give shows that involve 90 minutes of dancing a night!!
Thank you for all your well wishes. They are most appreciated!
OK, that’s all for now.
Lots of love to you all,
Jane
yup, you're right. the tour has been officially cancelled.
I've updated the post with the statement from the band.
Well, the Go-Go's boycotted the Arizona date, and it's been subsequently canceled -- not due to the boycott, but lackluster ticket sales.
And I just heard today the entire farewell tour is canceled due to Jane suffering a knee injury requiring surgery.
Even thought the Arizona date was ultimately canceled, why do the boycott thing in the first place and punish the fans and good people of Arizona?
Nice karma for the girls, if you ask me. Good riddance!
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