By CLTure
February 13, 2025
Photo: Blue Amber
Alternative country/rock singer-songwriter and musician Sturgill Simpson will return to North Carolina for three shows in May, performing in Charlotte at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre on May 13 and in Asheville at Explore Asheville.com Arena on May 20-21. Simpson’s last tour stop in Asheville was postponed due to Hurricane Helene but was relocated to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre, with proceeds benefiting the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
Simpson made his highly anticipated return to music with the stellar new album Passage Du Desir, released in July under the name Johnny Blue Skies. The album features eight songs produced by Simpson and David Ferguson (known for his work with Johnny Cash, John Prine, and Tyler Childers).
He also celebrated the 10th anniversary of his breakout album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music in 2024 with a special reissue. His third studio album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, released in 2016, won Best Country Album at the 59th Grammy Awards and was also nominated for Album of the Year.
This will be his first stop in Charlotte since the 2020 A Good Look’n Tour with Tyler Childers, which took place right before the Covid lockdown. In 2019, Simpson released Sound & Fury, marking a significant departure from his traditionally Americana style of music by incorporating psychedelic rock and electronica with grittier guitar riffs, synthesizers, and experimental sounds. Simpson’s 2021 album, The Ballad of Dood and Juanita, tells the story of a man named Dood and his quest to rescue his kidnapped wife, Juanita, marking a return to his country and bluegrass roots.
Outside of music, Simpson has acted in films and television shows such as Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Queen & Slim, The Creator, and the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones.
Presale for the tour dates will begin on Wednesday, February 19 at 10 a.m. (code: STN3KC4FL8) with tickets going on sale to the public on Friday, February 21 at 12 p.m.
Update (2/19): Due to high demand, Sturgill Simpson has added a second date in Charlotte on Monday, May 12 (code: STN3KC4FL8)
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