Boston has tapped Joan Jett & The Blackhearts as the opening act for the band's summer trek. In the tour announcement, Boston's founder Tom Scholz said, "I am thrilled to have Joan and her band on tour with us this summer. Not only is she an amazing rock ’n’ roll performing artist, but even more exciting to me is that she is a fellow vegetarian and shares compassion for animal welfare.”
Pollstar.com reported, "With regards to animal welfare, Boston is putting its money where its mouth is. The band is continuing its efforts to promote humane treatment for animals by donating one dollar from every ticket sold on the tour to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Mercy For Animals. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s mission is 1to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and spices.'" Mercy For Animals is “dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies."
- Tom Scholz told us that even after all these years, there are still significant differences between playing an arena and an outdoor amphitheater: ["Y'know, the arenas give you great control over the sound, and also the stage presentation -- y'know, the lighting and so forth. Outdoors, you have to improvise with the end of the day for the sunlight, and the sound is vastly different everywhere you go."]
- At her 2015 Rock Hall induction, Joan Jett spoke frankly about the passion and promise of true rock n' roll: ["I come from a place where rock n' roll means something. It means more than music, it means more than fashion, more than a good pose. It's a language of a sub-culture that has made eternal teenagers of all who follow it. It's a sub-culture of integrity, rebellion, frustration, alienation, and the glue that set several generations free of unnatural societal self-suppression."]
JUST ANNOUNCED: Boston with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (subeject to change):
June 14 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
June 16 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
June 18 - Chula Vista, CA - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
June 28 - Sugar Land, TX - Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land
June 30 - Dallas, TX - Starplex Pavilion
July 2 - Noblesville, IN - Klipsch Music Center
July 5 - Bay Saint Louis, MS - Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis
July 7 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 8 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center At The Heights
June 9 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 11 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
June 13 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
June 19 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Amphitheatre - Alpharetta
June 20 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater At Virginia Beach June 22 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
June 23 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater
June 25 - Moosic, PA - Pavilion At Montage Mountain
June 27 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
July 28 - Burgettstown, PA - KeyBank Pavilion
July 29 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater
July 20 Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live