Bruce Cockburn Tour Dates and Upcoming Concerts
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On tour
Yes
Followers
55,477
Category
Folk, Folk Rock, Classic Rock, Rock, Rock And Roll
Concerts
Apr
24
Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center (CPAC) at Cuesta College
San Luis Obispo
Tickets
Apr
25
The Smith Center
Las Vegas
Tickets
Apr
27
YAVAPAN ARTS CENTER prescott
Prescott
Tickets
Apr
28
The Rialto Theatre
Tucson
Tickets
Apr
30
KiMo Theatre
Albuquerque
Tickets
May
02
04 Center
Austin
Tickets
May
03
The Heights Theater
Houston
Tickets
May
04
The Kessler Theater
Dallas
Tickets
May
06
Victory Theater
Rogers
Tickets
May
07
Delmar Hall
Saint Louis
Tickets
May
08
Tower Theatre
Oklahoma City
Tickets
May
10
Boulder Theater
Boulder
Tickets
May
11
TACAW - The Arts Campus At Willits
Basalt
Tickets
May
12
The State Room
Salt Lake City
Tickets
May
24
Academy Theatre
Lindsay
Tickets
May
25
Massey Hall
Toronto
Tickets
May
26
War Memorial Hall
Guelph
Tickets
May
28
Grand Theatre
London
Tickets
May
29
Algonquin Theatre
Huntsville
Tickets
May
30
Bruce Cockburn "O Sun O Moon"
Kingston
Tickets
May
31
National Arts Centre
Ottawa
Tickets
Jul
06
Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Amphitheatre
Niagara-on-the-lake
Tickets
Jul
07
Mariposa Folk Festival 2024
Orillia
Tickets
About Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn Bone on Bone
Bone On Bone
Few recording artists are as creative and prolific as Bruce Cockburn. Since his self-titled debut in 1970, the Canadian singer-songwriter has issued a steady stream of acclaimed albums every couple of years. But that output suddenly ran dry in 2011 following the release of Small Source of Comfort. There were good reasons for the drought. For one thing, Cockburn became a father again with the birth of his daughter Iona. Then there was the publication of his 2014 memoir Rumours of Glory.
“I didn’t write any songs until after the book was published because all my creative energy had gone into three years of writing it,” Cockburn explains, from his home in San Francisco. “There was simply nothing left to write songs with. As soon as the book was put to bed, I started asking myself whether I was ever going to be a songwriter again.”
Such doubt was new to the man who’s rarely been at a loss for words as he’s distilled political views, spiritual revelations and personal experiences into some of popular music’s most compelling songs. What spurred Cockburn back into songwriting was an invitation to contribute a song to a documentary film about the late, seminal Canadian poet Al Purdy and he was off to the races.
Bone On Bone, Cockburn’s 33rd album, arrives with 11 new songs, including “3 Al Purdys,” a brilliant, six-minute epic that pays tribute to Purdy’s poetry. Cockburn explains its genesis: “I went out and got Purdy’s collected works, which is an incredible book. Then I had this vision of a homeless guy who is obsessed with Purdy’s poetry, and he’s ranting it on the street. The song is written in the voice of that character. The chorus goes, ‘I'll give you three Al Purdys for a twenty dollar bill.’ Here’s this grey-haired dude, coat tails flapping in the wind, being mistaken for the sort of addled ranters you run into on the street—except he’s not really ranting, he’s reciting Al Purdy. The spoken word parts of the track are excerpts from Purdy’s poems. After that, once the ice was broken, the songs just started coming.”
Cockburn’s rugged fingerpicking style on the Dobro perfectly matches Purdy’s plainspoken words and the grizzled voice of his street character. A similar guitar style can be heard on two of the next songs Cockburn wrote, the gospel-like “Jesus Train,” and “Café Society,” a bluesy number about people who gather at his local coffee shop to sip their java and talk about the state of the world.
There’s a prevalent urgency and anxious tone to much of the album, which Cockburn attributes to living in America during the Trump era. But, more than anything, Bone on Bone amounts to the deepest expression of Cockburn’s spiritual concerns to date. The 12-time Juno winner and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee turned away from traditional Christianity in the mid-1970s toward a quest for the more all-inclusive mysticism he documents in his memoir. And it’s that kind of spirituality that figures prominently in “Jesus Train” and “Twelve Gates to the City.” In “Looking and Waiting,” Cockburn sings of “scanning the skies for a beacon” from the divine.
“It’s a song of faith and frustration,” says Cockburn of the latter. "...Tired of looking in from the outside. My MO has always been to be aware of the divine...that dimension...always dealing with being stuck in a kind of observer’s position with respect to all that. I know it’s there. I don't really see as faith so much as knowledge. Others may have different ideas about those things, but for me, I don’t have to struggle to believe in God, or the notion that God cares what happens to me. But I do have to struggle with being in a conscious, intentional relationship. That underlies a lot of these songs.”
“Forty Years in the Wilderness” ranks alongside “Pacing the Cage” or “All the Diamonds” as one of Cockburn’s most starkly beautiful folk songs. “There have been so many times in my life when an invitation has come from somewhere...the cosmos...the divine...to step out of the familiar into something new. I’ve found it’s best to listen for, and follow these promptings. The song is really about that. You can stay with what you know or you can pack your bag and go where you’re called, even if it seems weird...even if you can’t see why or where you’ll end up.”
“Forty Years in the Wilderness” is one of several songs that feature a number of singers from the church Cockburn frequents, for the sake of convenience referred to in the album credits as the San Francisco Lighthouse “Chorus.” “The music was one of the enticements that drew me to SF Lighthouse. As I found myself becoming one of the regulars there, and got to know the people, I felt that I really wanted all these great singers, who were now becoming friends, to be on the album. They were kind enough to say yes!” Among other songs, they contribute call-and-response vocals to the stirring “Stab at Matter.” Other guests on the album include singer-songwriters Ruby Amanfu, Mary Gauthier, and Brandon Robert Young, along with bassist Roberto Occhipinti, and Julie Wolf, who plays accordion on “3 Al Purdys” and sings with the folks from Lighthouse, together with LA songwriter Tamara Silvera.
Produced by Colin Linden, Cockburn’s longtime collaborator, the album is built around the musicianship of Cockburn on guitar and the core accompaniment of bassist John Dymond and drummer Gary Craig. Also very much part of the sound is the accordion playing of Cockburn’s nephew John Aaron Cockburn and the solos of noted fluegelhorn player Ron Miles (check out his stunning work on the cascading “Mon Chemin,” for example).
Two other songs should be noted. The environmental warning “False River” came about at the invitation of Yvonne Bloomer, the poet laureate of Victoria, British Columbia. Bloomer was seeking a poem about the controversial Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline. “Pipelines have their own perils that we’re all aware of,” says Cockburn, “so I started writing what was meant to be a spoken-word piece with a rhythm to it. But it evolved very quickly into a song.”
“States I’m In,” which opens the album, conjures up feelings of mystery and dread. “It’s literally a ‘dark night of the soul’ kind of song,” Cockburn explains, “as it starts with sunset and ends with dawn. It passes through the night. The song is about illusion and self-delusion, looking at the tricks you play on yourself.” He adds: “Maybe it’s also a play on words about me living in the States.”
Cockburn, who won the inaugural People’s Voice Award at the Folk Alliance International conference in February and will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in September, continues to find inspiration in the world around him and channel those ideas into songs. “My job is to try and trap the spirits of things in the scratches of pen on paper and the pulling of notes out of metal,” he once noted. More than forty years after embarking on his singer-songwriting career, Cockburn keeps kicking at the darkness so that it might bleed daylight.
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Genres
Folk, Folk Rock, Classic Rock, Rock, Rock And Roll
Band members
Bruce Cockburn
Photos
What fans are saying
Dennis
Other than being sad seeing Bruce's aging state it was a great show. The lighting and sound were well done, tasteful and appropriate. Bruce sang and played with great strength, and his banter between songs was insightful and entertaining. The only thing I didn't appreciate were the bizzare comments yelled out by some in the audience who I suspect had a bit too much to drink.
TCU Place
Saskatoon, SK
Feb 10, 2023
Heather
Show was packed with appreciative fans. Bruce never fails to deliver a super performance; his singing and guitar playing are undiminished though he readily admitted that he no longers play some songs due to issues with his fingers. Considering his mammoth repertoire, this is not an issue! We can't wait to see him again in October (State Theatre, Portland, ME)
The Cabot
Beverly, MA
Jun 06, 2023
Jill
My first time at the venue, but will not be my last - very nice.
Wonderful concert - Bruce was and is a great musician, singer and a real gentle man. I just wish he had stayed around after the concert to sign C.Ds. and chat. But he may have been tired.
Again - really enjoyed the evening.
Jill Harcourt
deCoste Performing Arts Centre
Pictou, NS
Oct 26, 2023
Rob
Bruce is amazing to watch live. His vocals still strong at 78! Performing well over two hours of new and old material solo, Cockburn did not disappoint. Even at the end of a five concert in six nights marathon, he didn’t sound a bit tired. Truly one of the best ways I can think of to spend an evening.
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Halifax, NS
Oct 22, 2023
Glen
Absolutely awesome show! Bruce is one of those rare musicians who can do solo shows so well you sometimes swear there’s another guitarist off stage. Stream was excellent quality also with the exception of only a couple of very brief interruptions. I also liked the camera work. Well done. Best $18 I have ever spent on a concert!
Live Stream
Live Stream
Feb 27, 2022
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Bruce Cockburn Tour Cities
Oklahoma City, OK
San Luis Obispo, CA
Toronto, ON
Boulder, CO
Dallas, TX
Basalt, CO
Lindsay, ON
Albuquerque, NM
Salt Lake City, UT
Prescott, AZ
Guelph, ON
Ottawa, ON
Kingston, ON
Las Vegas, NV
Huntsville, ON
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Saint Louis, MO
Tucson, AZ
London, ON
Houston, TX
Orillia, ON
Austin, TX
Rogers, AR
Frequently Asked Questions About Bruce Cockburn
Concerts & Tour Date Information
Is Bruce Cockburn on tour?
Yes, Bruce Cockburn is currently on tour. If you’re interested in attending an upcoming
Bruce Cockburn concert, make sure to grab your tickets in advance. The Bruce Cockburn tour
is scheduled for 23 dates across 23 cities. Get
information on all upcoming tour dates and tickets for 2024-2025 with Hypebot.
How many upcoming tour dates is Bruce Cockburn scheduled to play?
Bruce Cockburn is scheduled to play 23 shows between 2024-2025. Buy
concert tickets to a nearby show through Hypebot.
When does the Bruce Cockburn tour start?
Bruce Cockburn’s tour starts Apr 24, 2024 and ends on Jul 07, 2024.
They will play 23 cities; their most recent concert was held in
San Luis Obispo at Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center (CPAC) at Cuesta College and their next upcoming concert
will be in San Luis Obispo at Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center (CPAC) at Cuesta College.
What venues is Bruce Cockburn performing at?
As part of the Bruce Cockburn tour, Bruce Cockburn is scheduled to play across the following
venues and cities:
2024 Tour Dates:
Apr 24 - San Luis Obispo,
CA @ Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center (CPAC) at Cuesta College
Apr 25 - Las Vegas,
NV @ The Smith Center
Apr 27 - Prescott,
AZ @ YAVAPAN ARTS CENTER prescott
Apr 28 - Tucson,
AZ @ The Rialto Theatre
Apr 30 - Albuquerque,
NM @ KiMo Theatre
May 02 - Austin,
TX @ 04 Center
May 03 - Houston,
TX @ The Heights Theater
May 04 - Dallas,
TX @ The Kessler Theater
May 06 - Rogers,
AR @ Victory Theater
May 07 - Saint Louis,
MO @ Delmar Hall
May 08 - Oklahoma City,
OK @ Tower Theatre
May 10 - Boulder,
CO @ Boulder Theater
May 11 - Basalt,
CO @ TACAW - The Arts Campus At Willits
May 12 - Salt Lake City,
UT @ The State Room
May 24 - Lindsay,
ON @ Academy Theatre
May 25 - Toronto,
ON @ Massey Hall
May 26 - Guelph,
ON @ War Memorial Hall
May 28 - London,
ON @ Grand Theatre
May 29 - Huntsville,
ON @ Algonquin Theatre
May 30 - Kingston,
ON @ Kingston Grand Theatre
May 31 - Ottawa,
ON @ National Arts Centre
Jul 06 - Niagara-on-the-lake,
ON @ Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Amphitheatre
Jul 07 - Orillia,
ON @ Tudhope Park