By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – LOS ANGELES, The mid-1990s represented a transformative era for American rock and roll, a period where the grit of grunge began to soften into a more melodic, roots-oriented sound. At the forefront of this sonic shift were The Wallflowers, a band that captured the collective imagination of a generation with their seminal 1996 release, Bringing Down the Horse. Now, as the album approaches its thirtieth anniversary, frontman Jakob Dylan has announced a massive commemorative world tour that promises to be more than just a standard retrospective. In a move that highlights both their own legacy and their deep-seated musical influences, the band will spend the coming year performing their breakthrough record in its entirety, coupled with a full-album cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ 1982 classic, Long After Dark.
The ambitious tour, which spans across North America and Europe, marks a significant milestone for a band that has navigated the highs and lows of the music industry for over three decades. For Jakob Dylan, the decision to revisit Bringing Down the Horse was driven by a desire to acknowledge the enduring relationship between the band and its audience. In a public statement regarding the tour, Dylan noted that the hiatus since their last major outing made this anniversary feel particularly poignant. He emphasized that the setlist was designed with the fans in mind, recognizing that Bringing Down the Horse remains the definitive Wallflowers experience for many. However, the inclusion of Tom Petty’s Long After Dark adds a layer of personal tribute to the proceedings, reflecting the band’s reverence for one of rock’s most influential figures.
Bringing Down the Horse was not merely a commercial success; it was a cultural phenomenon. Released in May 1996, the album served as the band’s sophomore effort and catapulted them into the stratosphere of mainstream rock. Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, the record boasted a polished yet organic sound that stood in stark contrast to the heavier alternative rock dominating the airwaves at the time. It eventually sold over four million copies in the United States alone, earning quadruple-platinum status and peaking at number four on the Billboard 200. The album’s longevity was fueled by a string of hit singles that became staples of FM radio, most notably "6th Avenue Heartache" and the ubiquitous "One Headlight." The latter earned the band two Grammy Awards and remains one of the most recognizable tracks of the 1990s, praised for its cinematic lyrics and Dylan’s understated, soulful delivery.
The decision to pair their own masterwork with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Long After Dark is a calculated and heartfelt choice. While Long After Dark is sometimes overlooked in favor of Petty’s more commercial juggernauts like Damn the Torpedoes or Full Moon Fever, it is a favorite among die-hard fans and musicians alike. Featuring tracks such as "You Got Lucky" and "Straight Into Darkness," the album showcased a band at the height of its powers, experimenting with synthesizers while maintaining their signature Rickenbacker-heavy jangle. For The Wallflowers, the connection to Petty is more than just stylistic; it is familial and professional. Mike Campbell, the Heartbreakers’ lead guitarist, famously contributed the slide guitar work on "6th Avenue Heartache," bridging the gap between the two generations of roots-rockers. By performing Long After Dark cover-to-cover, The Wallflowers are not just playing a set of covers; they are tracing the lineage of their own sound.
This upcoming trek follows the band’s 2021 return to the studio with Exit Wounds, an album that proved Dylan’s songwriting remained as sharp and evocative as ever. While Exit Wounds was a forward-looking project, the 2024 tour is a deliberate pause to look back. The tour kicks off in April on the West Coast, starting with a performance in Portland, Oregon, before winding its way through the American Southwest and into the heart of Texas. The itinerary includes high-profile appearances at festivals such as the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, and the Railbird Music Festival in Lexington, Kentucky.
As the summer progresses, the band will traverse the Midwest and the East Coast, hitting historic venues and intimate theaters that suit the atmospheric nature of their music. From the iconic First Avenue in Minneapolis to the Ryman-adjacent vibes of Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, the tour is designed to capture the communal spirit of rock music. The North American leg concludes in early September with a performance at The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, before the band takes a brief hiatus to prepare for their European dates.
The international leg of the tour, beginning in November, will see The Wallflowers bringing their dual-album showcase to major cities across Scandinavia, the Benelux region, France, and the United Kingdom. This European run is a testament to the band’s global reach and the universal appeal of Bringing Down the Horse. For international audiences, the opportunity to hear the album in full—alongside a tribute to Tom Petty—represents a rare deep dive into the American rock tradition.
The full itinerary for The Wallflowers’ Bringing Down the Horse 30th Anniversary Tour is as follows:
North American Leg:
04-17 Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
04-18 Edmonds, WA – Edmonds Center for the Arts
04-19 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
04-21 Napa, CA – Uptown Theatre
04-23 Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
04-24 Visalia, CA – Visalia Fox Theatre
04-25 Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre
04-26 Indio, CA – Stagecoach Music Festival
04-28 Albuquerque, NM – KiMo Theatre
04-30 New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall
05-01 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
05-02 Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
05-04 Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
05-05 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
05-07 Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center
05-08 Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
05-09 Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
05-10 Hartford, CT – Infinity Music Hall
05-12 Laconia, NH – Colonial Theatre
05-14 Bensalem, PA – Parx Casino
05-15 Charles Town, WV – The Event Center at Hollywood Casino
05-16 Huntington, NY – The Paramount
05-17 East Greenwich, RI – Greenwich Odeum
05-19 Ridgefield, CT – The Ridgefield Playhouse
05-21 Hudson, NY – Basilica Hudson
05-22 Beverly, MA – The Cabot Theater
05-23 Waterville, ME – Waterville Opera House
05-24 Bar Harbor, ME – Criterion Theater
06-04 Memphis, TN – Graceland Soundstage
06-05 Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
06-06 Lexington, KY – Railbird Music Festival
06-09 Ann Arbor, MI – Michigan Theater
06-11 Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
06-12 Fish Creek, WI – Door Community Auditorium
06-13 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
06-14 Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
06-16 Madison, WI – Barrymore Theatre
06-18 Iowa City, IA – The Englert Theatre
06-19 Eau Claire, WI – Summer Jam Fair
06-20 Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
06-21 Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
06-23 Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall
06-25 Colorado Springs, CO – Pikes Peak Center
06-26 Boulder, CO – Chautauqua Auditorium
06-27 Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
06-28 Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Pavilion
06-30 Jackson Hole, WY – Center for the Arts
07-01 Livingston, MT – Pine Creek Lodge
07-30 Little Rock, AR – The Hall
07-31 Huntsville, AL – Mars Music Hall
08-01 Dothan, AL – The Plant
08-02 Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theatre
08-06 Isle of Palms, SC – The Windjammer
08-07 Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre
08-08 Bristol, TN – Paramount Bristol
08-09 Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre
08-11 Dewey Beach, DE – Bottle & Cork
08-13 Hyannis, MA – Melody Tent
08-14 Mason, NH – The Range Live Music
08-17 Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Center for the Arts
08-18 Rutland, VT – Paramount Theatre
08-21 Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
08-22 Hammondsport, NY – Point of the Bluff Vineyard
08-24 Kent, OH – The Kent Stage
08-25 Morgantown, WV – The Metropolitan Theatre
08-27 Saginaw, MI – Temple Theatre
08-28 Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
08-29 Lincoln City, IN – Lincoln Amphitheatre
08-30 Saint Louis, MO – The Pageant
09-01 Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre
09-03 Sioux Falls, SD – The District
09-04 Mankato, MN – Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center
09-05 Bayfield, WI – Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
09-06 Milwaukee, WI – The Pabst Theater
European Leg:
11-10 Copenhagen, Denmark – Amager Bio
11-11 Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller
11-12 Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan
11-16 Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
11-17 Paris, France – Alhambra
11-18 Gent, Belgium – Capitole Gent
11-19 Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma
11-20 London, England – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
11-22 Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street
As fans prepare for this extensive tour, the excitement lies in the rare opportunity to witness a seminal 90s album performed alongside its spiritual predecessor. Jakob Dylan’s commitment to honoring both his band’s history and the legends who paved the way ensures that the 30th-anniversary celebration of Bringing Down the Horse will be a highlight of the 2024 concert season.