I doubt it will be that big. But it's nice to see anyone touring these days.

Exclusive: Bob Seger Tour Details
Singer announcing first batch of dates next week. Plus: new album is half-finished
Patti Ouderkirk/WireImage
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By Andy Greene
January 28, 2011 1:55 PM EDT


Bob Seger's decision to go on tour this spring was as much as a shock to the singer's team of advisors as it was to his fans. "Real quietly, without anybody knowing it, they booked 40 to 50 dates for him last year," a source close to Seger tells Rolling Stone. "It just came up too quickly and Bob walked away from them. All of a sudden in January he called up and said 'Let's do it now.' They had to say to him 'No, we don't have time. We need another two to three months to get it ready.' It's been a real scramble for them.'"

Bob Seger Announces American Tour

Seger's team has booked 20 to 30 dates for a two-and-a-half month American arena tour (that was announced earlier this week on a teaser video on his website) that kicks off in March. The first batch of dates are going to be announced next week, but the details are still being worked out. For one thing, ticket price points have yet to be finalized. More crucially, Seger's drummer Don Brewer's tour schedule with Grand Funk Railroad has complicated matters. "That's been a horrendous problem," says the source. "They have to work everything around that."

The setlist will focus on Seger's deep catalog of hits, but it will also feature select tracks from Seger's upcoming 17th studio LP. "Right now he probably has half of an album that he's happy with," says the source. "Whether or not he finishes it this summer, he'll probably go back out in the fall and do even more dates."

Fricke's Picks: Bob Seger's Rock City

Seger hopes that the album will come out sometime this summer, but that could easily change. "He's been known to finish an album in two months," says the source. "He's also been known to take a year. Record companies used to put out albums just one month after you finish it. Bob still thinks that's all you need. Now they want six months. It's a huge fight every time and it's scary because he makes changes right up to the end."

Seger's first seven albums have been out of print for decades, much to frustration of his fans. That situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. "He keeps going back and forth about that," says the source. "Maybe he just doesn't want to take the time to do it? They actually called some people to re-release them a little while ago, but Bob wasn't comfortable with what they wanted so they didn't do it. They hope to keep working towards it."

Only three new Seger albums have hit shelves since Soundscan began tabulating sales in 1991, but he's still sold nearly 20 million records in that time. (Bruce Springsteen has released eight albums of new material in that same time and only sold about a million more records.)  His 1994 Greatest Hits CD is consistently one of Billboard's top selling catalog albums and hits such as "Turn The Page," "Night Moves," Old Time Rock and Roll" and "Hollywood Nights" are in constant rotation on classic rock radio.

When he returned to the road in 2006 after an 11-year absence he quickly sold out most of the tour with very little promotion. Even in a bad economy, that's likely to be the situation this time around as well.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-bob-seger-tour-details-20110128

Does Seger actually own a passport? 

Gazza wrote on Jan 28^th, 2011 at 5:54pm:

He barely leaves Michigan,let alone the country.

steel driving hammer wrote on Jan 29^th, 2011 at 8:15am:

No you don't like that one. But you should like this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsnZMee16lk

Bob Seger: 'My Career's Winding Down. I Can't Do This Much Longer'
The 65-year-old singer talks to Rolling Stone about his next album, his ongoing tour, recording with Kid Rock and dropping nearly 30 pounds
Scott Legato/Getty
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By Andy Greene
April 8, 2011 9:00 AM ET


About three hours before he’s set to take the stage for the third show of his 2011 tour, Bob Seger is in his dressing room backstage at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, smoking Marlboros with his feet up on a coffee table. There’s another pack of cigarettes nearby, as well as bag of beef jerky, a black three-ring binder containing all of his lyrics, a keyboard, a couple of acoustic guitars and three ashtrays within close reach – one of them shaped like a Goodyear tire. “I’ve got a Ford GT with no ashtray,” Seger says. “This fits perfectly between the seats.”

Over a 30-minute conversation with Rolling Stone Seger talked about the difficulties of touring at this stage of his life, his next studio album, his upcoming collaboration with Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow and how he lost nearly 30 pounds before this tour.

Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone, Round Two: Vote by April 14!

It looks like you've lost some weight.
I worked hard. I lost 28 pounds in the last three months.

How did you do it?
Nutrisystem. And playing with the band. We rehearsed for about seven weeks, two to three days a week.

Yeah, I saw some photos of you golfing with Tiger Woods and you've clearly really slimmed down since then.
Oh god. I was huge. I think I was close to 247 there, and now I'm down to 220. And I'm going to go lower. I'm still on Nutrisystem. I had it today, and I'm going to keep going until I get to 205. That's my target weight, and I'll be real happy there. I've got to lose 15 more pounds. I don't think I can get much below 205. I'll look stupid.

Photos: Bob Seger's 2011 Tour Kick-Off

How's the tour going so far?
So far, pretty good. Our biggest problem is that we have too many songs. I worked up 36 songs and I can't fit them all in. We did 26 songs in Saginaw the other night and it was just too long. We're cutting it down to 24... But it's real fun up there. I'm paying the price though. I've got a real stiff neck and sore back. Other than that, I'm enjoying it.

I knew you took off that decade between 1995 and 2006 to raise your kids. Are you touring because they're older now and don't need you at home as much?
I think so. I also really think I'm doing it because it’s good for them to see their dad work hard. My son’s just getting ready to go to college and my daughter is a junior in high school. So I thought I’d set a good example and work real hard, and show them that if you’ve got a future you’ve got to work real hard for it. I thought that was a good time to do it.

Fricke's Picks: Bob Seger's Detroit Rock City

I know you fly home after most shows. Is it weird transitioning back to your home life right after playing a huge concert like this?
A little bit. The big thing is that I just need a lot more rest when I'm home. I do try to go home as much as possible after each show. I've got my own plane. I'm very fortunate. I've done well in my life, so I've got a small jet and I'll be right out the door at 11 o'clock. I got them up this morning for school at six.

We're just doing three shows a week because of my age. For the first time I'm sitting when I'm playing guitar. It hurts my back. I play two or three songs at the piano, but unusually, my back hurts worse at the piano. It's really strange because it never did before. It's just age. I'm getting up there.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-seger-my-careers-winding-down-i-cant-...

Gazza wrote on Jan 28^th, 2011 at 5:54pm:


Do many outside the United States know who is, even? I'm ashamed to admit that I can't name a single song by him.

My family lived in Mich for a while and my older brother knew him.

Despite many years between touring, he's a trooper.  I do not care for his new version of Downtown Train