Fans of country music duo Brooks and Dunn may be wondering what motivated their first nationwide tour in 10 years. The answer is quite simple, according to Ronnie Dunn.
“We were bored,” he joked. “Especially after this COVID thing, we all had ‘cat in the cage’ syndrome. “
We spoke to Dunn by phone just before the tour, which started in September. The duo, which includes Dunn and Kix Brooks, will stop in Tampa on October 8 at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater as part of their 2021 Reboot tour. Travis Tritt and Elvie Shane are tour guests.
One of music’s most successful duets, they started in 1991 and went their separate ways in 2010. Amid speculation as to why, Dunn joked at their farewell concert in Tampa, “I’ll tell you. why Brooks and Dunn are breaking up. Because I couldn’t wear the hat! I have been bitter for 20 years.
Dunn said he still doesn’t wear a cowboy hat, although he does have a collection of them. When he puts one on, he says, his wife tells him to take it off.
Hat jokes aside, Dunn said it’s good for any artist or band to take a break and come back with a fresh take on it. He always creates new music to include in the duo’s concerts.
The breakup didn’t last too long. In 2015, the duo teamed up with Reba McEntire for the longest-running country music residency in Las Vegas. It was stopped by the pandemic, but “Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas” will resume at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in December.
The duo returned to the charts in 2019 with the album from the collaboration project To restart. It featured re-recordings of some of their most beloved songs, performed as a duet with contemporary country artists such as Luke Combs, the Osborne brothers and Kacey Musgraves. With fan favorites including Boot Scootin ‘Boogie, Neon moon and Brand new man, the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Best Country Albums, giving them their 10th album Billboard 200 Top 10, the biggest country duo or band in chart history. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the “Artist of the Modern Age” category in 2019.
Being back on the charts is different these days, Dunn said, but the duo are happy to have everything they get.
The Reboot Tour is produced by Live Nation, which has a policy in place that the public must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination before attending a show.
Dunn said he thinks it’s the best thing Live Nation can do to keep everyone safe.
The repeats looked slightly different during the pandemic. Dunn said they called the rehearsals “group camp” and took all possible precautions, including closed rehearsals with only the team and limited access to each other.
“Other than that… It’s like training, getting in shape,” he said. “You know, just go dive into the fire. But nothing different. That’s what we do. have been doing for over 20 years.
Planning your weekend?
Subscribe to our free Top 5 things to do newsletter
We will give you ideas for going out, staying at home or spending time outdoors every Thursday.
You are all registered!
Want more of our free weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your options
If you are going to
Brooks and Dunn. Tickets start at $ 29.75. 7:00 p.m. October 8. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater. 4802 US Highway 301 N, Tampa. livenation.com.
