I was confused since I hadn't heard anything about the Rolling Stones coming to town (I recognized the logo). Immediately, I thought that they were coming to Pittsburgh Tuesday night and I freaked out, fearing the traffic it would cause by Consol Energy Center. I soon found out that was not the case.
On Tuesday, the Rolling Stones announced their North America tour for this summer. It's being recognized as one of the "worst-kept secrets in live music," due to the advertisements in cities. Apparently, I was out of the loop until I saw the outdoor advertising.
Billboards started popping up a week or so prior to the announcement, suggesting that the tour dates would be released Tuesday. Several had advertised for a March 19th announcement, but that was postponed.
The tour will occur in mostly stadiums in secondary markets that did not get the Stones back in 2012 for the 50th anniversary tour or 2013. The tour is called "Zip Code - 15 City North American Stadium Tour" that kicks off May 24 in San Diego, then heads to Columbus, Minneapolis, Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Detroit, Buffalo and Quebec.
It is the first time the Rolling Stones will play in the North American Stadiums since the A Bigger Bang Tour from 2005-2007. The Zip Code Tour features a stage that juts out into the audience so the Stones can interact with them. Tickets go on sale Monday, April 13 and American Express Card Members can purchase tickets earlier on Wednesday, April 8.
With Mick Jagger at 71 and Charlie Watts (the driver) at 74, this could be one of the last opportunities to see them!
It is interesting that they chose to put up billboards to create a buzz. Social media would be a great way for a current band to create hype around an upcoming tour. Maybe it is a reflection of the generation they represent, since most fans of the Rolling Stones may not be social media savvy. Especially with Twitter. I do think it is a creative and simple idea, and it obviously caught the attention of many people if it was considered one of the worst-kept secrets in live music.
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