Hot off the press from San Francisco: British post-punk legend Paul Weller is set for a big comeback in the Bay Area. It’s been a whole seven years since he last lit up a stage in Northern California, and the buzz among fans is real.
Circle Tuesday, April 9, on your calendars—that’s when Weller, famed for his time with The Jam and The Style Council and now a solo star, dropped the news of his first North American tour since 2017. Named the “Self-Titled Tour,” it’s slated to start on September 6 in New Jersey. Get ready!
Regarding the San Francisco dates, Weller has two performances scheduled at the Fillmore, which are set to commence on September 22 and 23. Tickets for these shows will be available via a Live Nation presale that is slated to begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning, April 11, and interested parties can purchase them ahead of time using code RIFF. General ticket sales will be made available the following morning Friday, April 12, at 10:00 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
Weller turns 66 on May 25, the day after his new album, aptly titled “66”, which is set to be released on May 24. The latest album is Weller’s 17th solo album and the basis for the upcoming tour.
Mostly recorded in Weller’s Black Barn Studio, the album features notable contributions from several well-known artists. Among the musicians who have collaborated with Weller on the new album include former member of Oasis Noel Gallagher, Suggs McPherson of Madness, Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, and Dr. Robert and Richard Hawley of the Blow Monkeys. Personal string arrangements on the new album have been provided by Hannah Peel.
The first single from the new album, co-written with Gillespie and titled, “Soul Wandering,” is currently available for listeners to enjoy.
In 2017, Weller spoke in an interview in which he reflected on his passion for music saying, “I just enjoy making records. I like the challenge every time of what’s possible and what we can do and where it can go — that’s an inspiration in itself.” Weller continued, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, from the time I was eight or nine. I just wanted to play music and be in a band. I was very arrogant and ignorant as a youth. I just appreciate it a lot more.”
Born in 1958, Weller is an English singer-songwriter and musician who first garnered an audience as the frontman of the band The Jam during the late 70s. After The Jam disbanded in 1982, Weller went on to explore different musical styles and achieved further acclaim with the British band The Style Council of which he was the frontman until 1989.
By 1992, Weller had established himself as a solo artist and achieved national recognition across the UK. His most recent album, “Fat Pop (Volume 1)” was released on May 14, 2021, through Polydor Records and Solid Bond, and featured the single, “Shades of Blue.”
