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When I was nine months pregnant with my third child, my husband was offered two floor-level tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert. My husband is a huge fan, but given that the concert was so close to my due date, I thought it wasn't the best idea for him to go, just in case I went into labor.
But he really wanted to go. He said he would put his phone ringer on high and ensure his friend did the same. He pleaded with me and argued, “This could be my last chance ever to see him in concert.” I relented and told him to go ahead.
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That was in September 2003 (I went into labor four days later). My husband loved the experience, but it was not his last chance to see Springsteen in concert. In fact, he saw him again last August at MetLife Stadium.
From 2019 to 2023, KISS held its End of the Road tour with the promise that after 50 years of touring, its last concert would be held in New York's Madison Square Garden. But don’t think the band, which has held previous goodbye tours, including its makeup-free 1983 tour, is disappearing. The band members are merely moving to avatars thanks to Pophouse Entertainment Group, which produces virtual concerts.
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After 52 years of performing and his own set of goodbye tours, Elton John ended his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Stockholm in July 2023. The tour lasted over five years due to postponements from the pandemic.
The Eagles, Kenny Loggins and others also hung it up in 2023. But how do you know when it really is goodbye for your favorite band?
The Last Hurrahs
Announcing that a tour is the “last” creates a demand and a sense of excitement, which translates to increased ticket sales. Artists such as Cher, Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue have announced final tours, only to return and tour again. It's impossible to know if a goodbye tour is your last chance to see your favorite band perform live.
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