Award-winning, world-beloved Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon has announced the first set of dates of his Shut Up & Play! concert tour. The 28-city tour will take Cannon from the Midwest to the East Coast and back, including dates in Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Boston. Shut Up & Play! will be released on Friday, June 7, and is the third Alligator album from Cannon. It will be available on CD, yellow vinyl LP, and at all digital services.
With his richly detailed, truth-telling original songs, blistering, inventive guitar work and impassioned vocals, Cannon is on the cutting edge of today’s contemporary blues scene. He is considered one of the genre’s most creative artists. His sound is inspired by his heroes, including Hound Dog Taylor, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Albert King, Son Seals and Jimi Hendrix. On Shut Up & Play!, Cannon blazes his own path with 11 emotionally-charged originals. From serious to humorous, his imaginative songs are fueled by his powerful, cathartic guitar solos and his soulfully authoritative voice.
Shut Up & Play! was co-produced by Cannon and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer. The album finds Cannon, a former Chicago Transit Authority bus driver, delivering timeless stories of common experiences, often unfolding in uncommon ways. His passionate and focused guitar playing sets his lyrics ablaze. From the first radio single, the attention-grabbing I Hate Love, to the gospel-inspired, autobiographical Had To Go Through It To Get To It, to the slow-burning, reflective Guilty, to the deeply personal Message To My Daughter, Shut Up & Play! tackles the gamut of human emotions. Song subjects range from the heartbreak of lost love, to the humor of daily life, to the pain of feeling invisible in today’s society, all as seen through Cannon’s wide-open eyes.
Cannon has been nominated for ten Blues Music Awards, and, as his fan base expands, so do his friendships with famous musicians. Gary Clark, Jr. declared, “Toronzo is a beast. He lights the room up,” and Joe Bonamassa rightly pronounced, “Toronzo’s a great guitar player, excellent vocalist and an amazing personality.”
Cannon has performed at clubs and festivals at major cities all over the U.S. and continues to bring his music directly to his fans. He’s toured Canada, the UK, made his way across Europe and even to Japan. He has played the Chicago Blues Festival on ten separate occasions, bringing tens of thousands of his fellow Chicagoans to their feet. His live performances unfailingly earn him heaps of critical praise and hordes of wildly enthusiastic new supporters. “Listen to a master bluesman at work,” declared the UK’s Blues & Rhythm magazine. “This is modern blues at its creative best.”
TORONZO CANNON
2024 Shut Up & Play! Tour
MAY 31 - Hidden Gem Music Hall, Dayton, OH
JUNE 1 - Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland, OH
JUNE 5 - Music On The Rock Concert Series, Rockford, IL
JUNE 6 - SPACE, Evanston, IL
JUNE 14 - Blues On The Fox, Aurora, IL
JUNE 19 - Zoo Bar, Lincoln, NE
JUNE 20 - Granary Green, Ralston, NE
JUNE 21 - Sioux City Public Museum, Sioux City, IA
JUNE 22 - Uptown VFW, Minneapolis, MN
JUNE 30 - Blues From The Top, Winter Park, CO
JULY 3 - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
JULY 5 - Hard Rock Casino, Gary, IN
JULY 11 - The Roxy, Rochester M
JULY 12 - Fanatics Pub, Lima, NY
JULY 13 - The Cave Buffalo, NY
JULY 14 - The 443 Social Club & Lounge, Syracuse, NY
JULY 16 - Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, Portsmouth, NH
JULY 17 - Brickhouse, Scarborough, ME
JULY 18 - Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
JULY 19 - The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA
JULY 20 - Stanhope House Stanhope NJ
JULY 21 - Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
JULY 22 - City Winery Loft, NYC, NY
JULY 23 - St Georges Country Store, St Georges, DE
JULY 24 - Jammin Java, Vienna, VA
JULY 25 - Hub City Vinyl, Hagerstown, MD
JULY 26 - Pittsburgh Shrine Center, Cheswick, PA
JULY 27 - Canal Winchester Blues & Ribfest, Winchester, OH
