The promoter for the Rolling Stones' upcoming Minneapolis concert and other fall tour dates says the shows will go on, despite the death of drummer Charlie Watts on Tuesday.
Rolling Stones 'moving ahead' on tour despite Charlie Watts' death
COVID safety concerns have not been addressed for the (indoor) Minneapolis date, but a fill-in drummer had already been announced for the trek.
August 27, 2021 at 4:20PM
"The Rolling Stones' tour dates are moving ahead as planned," Concerts West representatives said in a statement.
A fill-in drummer, Steve Jordan, had been announced for the tour three weeks prior to Watts' death. Another veteran timekeeper who played with Keith Richards in his side project the X-Pensive Winos, Jordan said at the time, "It is an absolute honor and a privilege to be Charlie's understudy."
Even before Watts' death at age 80, many fans (and reporters) were already questioning if the Oct. 24 date at U.S. Bank Stadium and other shows would go on as planned in light of rising infection COVID-19 rates driven by the Delta variant.
Other veteran acts, including Stevie Nicks and Neil Young, have canceled dates this fall out of safety concerns, and some other big names such as Harry Styles and the Eagles have implemented vaccine requirements at shows (the latter has yet to do so for its upcoming Xcel Energy Center shows, though). Kiss abruptly postponed gigs Thursday after singer Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID.
The Stones' show for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in October was canceled earlier this month along with all of Jazz Fest, as Louisiana is suffering some of the highest infection rates in the nation.
Asked about any extra safety protocols for the Minneapolis concert, U.S. Bank Stadium representatives said they "recommend" guests wear masks to the show but do not plan to enforce a mask mandate or require proof of vaccine or negative test results. That's the same current plan for Vikings games.
The Stones' date in Minneapolis is the sixth of 12 stops on the band's No Filter Tour, which had been postponed from 2020. It's one of only two indoor dates on the itinerary.
U.S. Bank Stadium is also due to welcome a big concert crowd for George Strait on Nov. 13.
Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658
@ChrisRstrib
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