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Ann Wilson of Heart has been captivating crowds with her performances on her solo tour and we are pleased to announce she has extending the tour. The second leg of Ann Wilson extends “Ann Wilson of Heart Tour”. The a second leg of dates running from May 19-July 2. The iconic vocalist will make tour stops in Chicago, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta, among other cities.

Musicians on board for the ANN WILSON OF HEART tour include Craig Bartock on guitar (Heart member for a dozen years, who also performed in the Ann Wilson Thing for two years) from San Francisco; Andy Stoller on bass (the Ann Wilson Thing member for two years) from Seattle; Denny Fongheiser on drums and percussion (Heart member in the 1990’s for two years) from Los Angeles; and Dan Walker on keys.

“The stage is a magical place where I can be beautifully in and out of control, where I can build a fire and then jump into it,” says the esteemed and pioneering Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend who’s known for her force-of-nature vocals. “The stage is where I have always lived; where I’ve expressed my deepest emotions and supreme joys.” ANN continues: “I suppose I am addicted to it. I’ve never been much good at talking, but I can sing, and when I sing I connect with people in a much deeper, higher way.”

Tour Dates:

DATE		CITY	VENUE
Wed	3/29	Alexandria, VA	The Birchmere
Thu	3/30	Westbury, NY	The Westbury Theatre
Sat	4/1	Peekskill, NY	Paramount Hudson Valley
Sun	4/2	Derry, NH	Tupelo Music Hall
Tue	4/4	Englewood, NJ	Bergen Performing Arts Center
Thu	4/6	Philadelphia, PA	Keswick Theatre
Fri	4/7	Cranston, RI	Park Theatre PAC
Fri	5/19	Indio, CA	Fantasy Springs Casino
Sun	5/21	Solana Beach, CA	Belly Up
Tue	5/23	Phoenix, AZ	Celebrity Theatre
Fri	5/26	Florence, KY	UC Health Stadium
Sun	5/28	St. Louis, MO	River City Casino
Wed	5/31	Dallas, TX	Bomb Factory
Thu	6/1	San Antonio, TX	The Aztec Theater
Sat	6/3	Corpus Christi, TX	Concrete Street Pavilion
Sun	6/4	Houston, TX	Arena Theatre
Tue	6/6	Atlanta, GA	Buckhead Theatre
Thu	6/8	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Parker Playhouse
Sat	6/10	Clearwater, FL	Capitol Theater
Sun	6/11	Fort Pierce, FL	Sunrise Theatre
Tue	6/13	Nashville, TN	Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Wed	6/14	Huber Heights, OH	Rose Music Center at The Heights
Fri	6/16	Chicago, IL	House of Blues
Sat	6/17	Warren, OH	W.D. Packard Music Hall
Mon	6/19	Kansas City, MO	Uptown Theatre
Wed	6/21	Cedar Falls, IA	Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
Mon	6/26	Layton, UT	Kenley Amphitheater
Tue	6/27	Sandy, UT	Sandy City Amphitheater
Thu	6/29	Pleasanton, CA	Alameda County Fairgrounds
Fri	6/30	San Rafael, CA	Marin County Fair
Sun	7/2	Anaheim, CA	The Grove of Anaheim

We recently had the opportunity to interview Ann Wilson of Heart as she was ready to embark on her solo tour, which started March 8th. Check out our interview with Ann:

* * * * * *

MJP: We are excited about your upcoming solo tour. We understand that it will be a great night of music. Not only of your solo career but songs from Heart as well as some covers.

Ann: Yes! Yes it will.

MJP: We have noticed that you have been sharing on Twitter a list of your Top Ten Live Albums. Is that maybe any indication as to what songs you might be covering?

Ann: Yes to a degree, a few songs. My Top Ten Favorite Live Albums are the ones that have powered my life.

MJP: Personally, I have to ask you a question. Will you be playing the song, Don’t Give Up? which is such a powerful track.

Ann: Oh yeah, we got to do that one.

MJP: That song is so powerful and amazing. It brings this great bright light of hope and fosters strength from within, incredible track.

Ann: Ya and Thank you. It really talks about when you have someone there who really has your back. Because in those moments when you think that you had it, you have somebody to talk to and is there. It is a great song.

MJP: Your music over the years have always created that connection with the listeners, even when it is a hard rock track – and that tends to be very difficult to do. You have created this listeners’ connection that takes them on a musical journey. How has it been to hear from the fans about how your songs have affected them differently over the years?

Ann: It really has been one of the things that has made us, and me, want to keep doing it. It’s the connection with the people. If not for that, then you might as well stay home and write poetry or something.

MJP: The neat thing about this tour is that you have chosen these great venues that create such a great close intimate environment which will lead to emotions and connections flourishing.

Ann: Yes, Definitely. A lot of those little old theaters are beautiful and ornate, and almost sacred to play, because they are made for sound, made for drama. It is just going to be a really nice environment for everybody.

MJP: It will be. We caught you last year out on the Beautiful Broken Tour and it was interesting to see something you rarely see.. Fans experiencing the show, firsthand. Not behind their cell phones or cameras. They were there getting the full effect and I believe this tour will be another great experience as well.

Ann: It is really great to see people come out behind their phones. It is fabulous!

MJP: They are creating those memories that they can go back in their head and relive. They don’t need to look at it, to feel the emotions from the shows. Another great thing we have seen at your shows is that there is no age specific audience. The audience ranges in age from young teens on up. It is great to see them all embrace your music. How is it to some of these young teens break out their parent’s vintage Heart tour shirts, but not only that picking up the Vinyls?

Ann: Oh yeah, it is fabulous, because so many of them, where not even born when Heart came out.

MJP: We got to see it first hand, all of them singing all the words. It was great to see! Even with their parents rocking out and bridging that generation gap.

How about today with everything being digital, do you ever find yourself having to completely disconnect digitally? No phones, no internet?

Ann: Yes, it is really hard to do. Because I live away up in the country and the wifi is my umbilical to the world. But sometimes you just want to go, “Just leave me alone”. (chuckles)

MJP: Yes, it is interesting because in the past, you didn’t have all that when you were touring, the phones, social media, etc. Like today’s fans want you to be so accessible, but we didn’t have that back then.

Ann: No, right. There was more time for contemplation and when you are in the airport now, you see a room full of people and no one is interacting, it is just their phones.

MJP: I know we do here, sometimes just disconnect. If we have to, we just pull out our old vinyls and go old school. We are seeing so much of it now, they call it “going old school” but honestly it is just the way we grew up.

Ann: That is right and it is not a bad way to be. I am not bemoaning the present, it was just the past but that was a thing about the way it used to be and is very healthy.

MJP: Even going to shows, you interacted more. We are seeing a bit more of that at shows, where people are coming away from their phones and talking with eachother about the show or artist.

Do you have plans on taking your solo tour overseas?

Ann: We already have an offer in September for Canada, that is not far overseas, (chuckles_ it might be these days. But yes, I imagine that after we do our first couple legs of the tour, the offers start coming in and people start seeing it really is ok.

MJP: We know that it will be great. It is exciting because you are bringing a little bit of everything in there and we just know it will be great for people to see it and experience it all.

Ann: Yes, definitely.

MJP: We look forward to it and Ann is there anything else you would like to share with our audience and your fans?

Ann: I am really looking forward to coming Berkeley. I mean we played San Francisco and Shoreline but we never get to play out in the community or the audience called Berkeley. Berkeley is like a world unto it’s own self…. We have family out there and everything. It is going to be great.

MJP: I know when you are out on tour you are so busy but do you get some time to check out the little towns as well?

Ann: Well, sometimes when we have a day off. But otherwise we are there in the morning and then out right after the show. Unfortunately we don’t get to see much unless we have a day off. Then we get to get out. My husband and I we like to live on our bus and we get to stay out at a KOA. We go hang outside of town in the wilderness.

MJP: That is great. It is interesting that your music is so raw, personal and full of emotional energy, when you get out on the stage is it like an emotional release each night because it is so passionate?

Ann: Yes, yes. Some of the songs are definitely, especially on this tour. So many of them are, it is like a release.

MJP: So it is great to get out nature, rejuvenate and get a little bit back each time. We look forward to seeing you out there.

Ann: Thank you.

* * * * * *

This tour is truly amazing as you get the chance to hear Ann’s solo songs and more. We are so excited to hear that she will be performing her track, Don’t Give Up which has recently become my Go To song these days as I care for my ailing mother. The song captures such a depth of raw emotion to life and renews my spirit.

Make sure to visit her social media sites and stay up to date on her latest news.

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