Mr. Big have announced a farewell tour, taking place in 2023 and 2024. As of now the veteran rock band has unveiled dates for a run of Asia this summer, with US, European, and South American shows slated to be revealed for 2024.
The tour, dubbed “The Big Finish,” will find Mr. Big playing its 1991 album Lean Into It in its entirety. The LP yielded the band’s smash ballad “To Be With You,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In a press release, Mr. Big said that it’s the right to time to end their touring career following the passing of drummer Pat Torpey, who died in 2018 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The band also revealed that Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train) will fill Torpey’s slot behind the drum kit.
“We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it,” stated bassist Billy Sheehan.
Guitarist Paul Gilbert added, “We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we’re going to play in as many of those places as we can.”
And lead singer Eric Martin concluded, “If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to The BIG Finish!’ Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as MR. BIG again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.”
As for welcoming D’Virgilio to the band, Sheehan noted, “We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he’s got a great voice too. Nick has a vocal range similar to Pat’s, and he’ll be able to do the parts Pat did with a similar finesse. It’s a big relief because Mr. Big has always been heavy on the harmonies. When the band began, we really relied on each other. We knew each guy would do exactly what he needed to do vocally and to do it righteously, on key, and in time. It’s difficult to find a drummer who sings in that range, but Nick has the voice we really need onstage.”
While the 2024 US, European and South American dates for the tour are yet to be announced, the 2023 Asia outing kicks off July 20th in Nagoya, Japan, and runs through an August 12th show in Jakarta, Indonesia. See those dates below, and find tickets here as they become available.
Mr. Big 2023 Tour Dates:
07/20 – Nagoya, JP @ Nagoya Shimin Kaikan
07/22 – Osaka, JP @ Osaka Maruzen Intec Arena
07/25 – Tokyo, JP @ Budokan
07/29 – Seoul, KR @ Yes24 Live Hall
07/31 – Hong Kong, CN @ Southorn Stadium
08/02 – New Taipei, TW @ Zepp New Taipei
08/04 – Singapore, SL @ Marina Bay Sands Theater
08/05 – Singapore, SL @ Marina Bay Sands Theater
08/07 – Bangkok, TH @ Show DC Hall
08/09 – Manila, PH @ Skydome
08/12 – Jakarta, ID @ The 90’s Festival
