| Concert Tour Name: | In Step Tour |
| Artist: | Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble |
| Type: | North American concert |
| Location: | United States, Canada |
| Album: | In Step |
| Start Date: | May 4, 1989 |
| End Date: | August 26, 1990 |
| Number Of Legs: | 6 |
| Number Of Shows: | 136 |
| Last Tour: | Live Alive Tour (1986–88) |
| This Tour: | In Step Tour (1989–90) |
The In Step Tour was a concert tour through the United States and Canada, undertaken by American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble from 1989 to 1990. Launched in support of their fourth and final studio album In Step, this was the third tour to include keyboardist Reese Wynans, who joined the band in 1985. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble achieved international fame when their debut album, Texas Flood, was released in June 1983. Throughout their subsequent concert tours, the group's success was confirmed as their performances consistently amazed and gratified their audiences. Similar to their previous tours, the In Step Tour was a minimalist production. The stage featured a simple light show that changed according to the mood of certain songs performed. Although Vaughan and Double Trouble never followed a set list, all ten songs from In Step were played at least once during the tour, and as many as seven of them were included in each of the band's performances.
Consisting of six legs and 136 shows, the In Step Tour began on May 4, 1989, in Vancouver and ended on August 26, 1990, in East Troy, Wisconsin. After the first two legs, Vaughan and Double Trouble co-headlined with Jeff Beck and Joe Cocker during the third and fifth legs, which were branded as "The Fire Meets the Fury" and "Power and Passion", respectively. The group had planned to embark on a European leg in September 1990, but it was canceled after Vaughan died in a helicopter crash following the East Troy concert on August 27, 1990, during a return flight to Chicago. Although the tour elicited a variety of reactions from music critics, it was generally well-received and garnered mostly favorable reviews. Along with being one of the highest-grossing concert tours of 1989, "The Fire Meets the Fury" leg was awarded for being the most creative tour package of the year by Pollstar magazine.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble gained international fame after the release of their debut studio album Texas Flood in June 1983. Their second studio album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, and the supporting tour brought them to further commercial and critical success during the following year. After the addition of keyboardist Reese Wynans in 1985, the band released Soul to Soul and toured in support of the album, which was their first as a quartet. In Europe, the schedule of performances were canceled after Vaughan suffered from a substance abuse related illness, due to a long-term drug and alcohol addiction. He checked into a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta, where he stayed for four weeks and achieved sobriety; bassist Tommy Shannon checked into rehab in Austin.
Following their departure from rehab, Vaughan and Shannon reconvened with Double Trouble to begin the Live Alive Tour in November 1986, which supported the album that was released on November 17. Although Vaughan was nervous about performing while being sober, he received positive reassurance. Wynans recalled: "[He] had a little bit of self doubt. We rehearsed and were very encouraging to him." As the tour progressed, Vaughan was longing to work on material for the group's next LP, but in January 1987, he filed for a divorce from his wife Lenny, which restricted him of writing songs and recording an album for almost two years. After the proceedings were finalized in 1988, the band started recording their fourth and final studio album, In Step, at Kiva Studios in Memphis, where they worked with producer Jim Gaines.
Vaughan initially had doubts about his musical and creative abilities, but he gained more confidence as the sessions progressed. Shannon later recalled: "From my eyes, he went in scared to death ... In Step was, for him, a big growing experience."[1] On January 21, 1989, the band took a break from recording and performed at a presidential inaugural celebration for George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C. When the sessions concluded, they participated in a concert organized by the Greenpeace organization, which took place on April 8, 1989, at the Mount Smart Supertop in Auckland, New Zealand.
Band:
Management/Tour Staff:
A rehearsal for the In Step Tour took place on May 3, 1989, at York Theatre in Vancouver, before the opening show at the city's Orpheum Theatre on the following night.[17] Lighting technician Trey Hensley explained that Vaughan decided against lengthy rehearsals: "The band played all the time and didn't need rehearsal, and he didn't believe in spending money to rehearse." Like many of the group's preceding tours, which began ahead of the release of a new album, the tour started a month before In Step was released, giving fans a preview of new songs from the album. The first leg of the tour alternated between both indoor and outdoor venues, with 15 concerts that were mostly indoor arena and theatre shows in May. After the release of In Step on June 13, the band performed 25 concerts throughout the United States and Canada from June to September.
Two co-headlining legs in North America were subsequently planned—"The Fire Meets the Fury" with Jeff Beck from October to December 1989, and "Power and Passion" with Joe Cocker from June to July 1990.[18] In preparation for the high-profile "The Fire Meets the Fury" leg of the tour, band management added Pennsylvania-based Lighting Designer Andy Elias to the touring staff.[19] The simplistic light show was replaced with state-of-the-art technology, featuring "intelligent" Vari*Lite lighting fixtures. Rehearsals for "The Fire Meets the Fury" began at Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis on October 23 and 24, before the official leg-opening Northrup Auditorium show on October 25.[20] Both Vaughan and Beck were advertised as headliners and received equal billing for the tour. Vaughan's manager Alex Hodges commented: "We were very careful to have equal billing and everything done in a way that it would be hard to say anyone was taking advantage of the other."
During an extended break between the third and fourth legs of the tour, Vaughan recorded Family Style with his brother Jimmie Vaughan in March 1990. They worked with producer Nile Rodgers at Ardent Studios in Memphis, and it would be their first and only collaboration. The album was ultimately released in September 1990, a month after Vaughan's death. With the success of "The Fire Meets the Fury," Hodges made arrangements for the "Power and Passion" leg with Cocker: "We weren't trying to repeat the magic of the tour with Beck, but we thought it was a way to have a strong summer tour and give the fans something different."
Following the conclusion of "Power and Passion", Vaughan took a short break from touring with Double Trouble. In August 1990, he traveled to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, where he spent time vacationing with girlfriend Janna Lapidus. She later recalled the trip: "It was all one big barrel of laughs! We were goofballs." Shortly after they had returned to their Manhattan apartment in New York City, Vaughan left for Kalamazoo, Michigan on August 24, where he reconvened with the band to perform at the county fair. They then moved on to East Troy, Wisconsin, where they were booked for two nights as the opening act for Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre. Both shows, on August 25 and 26, were sold out with an audience of 40,000 each.[21] The second show concluded with an encore jam session featuring Vaughan, Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and Vaughan's brother Jimmie Vaughan. In 1993, Clapton recalled Vaughan's performance: "[It was] beyond anything that I could even describe ... there was nothing missing. There was no room for improvement."[22]
After the show, Vaughan talked with Layton backstage, where he expressed his gratification of the band's performances and optimism for the future of their career. Layton recalled the conversation: "He was in great spirits ... We talked for, I guess, almost thirty minutes."[23] In the early morning of August 27, 1990, Vaughan and three members of Clapton's touring entourage boarded a Bell 206B, which was the third in a series of four helicopters to travel to Chicago's Midway Airport. The pilot, who was unqualified to operate a helicopter in foggy weather conditions, failed to gain enough altitude to fly the aircraft over a nearby ski hill, where it crashed shortly after takeoff. Vaughan and the four others on board were all killed instantly. The band had originally planned to visit England, France and Switzerland in September after being absent from the European touring circuit for over two years, but the rest of the tour was canceled. Vaughan was buried in his hometown of Dallas, Texas on August 31, 1990.
Encore:
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act(s) | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America[26] [27] | ||||||
| May 4, 1989 | Vancouver | Canada | Orpheum Theatre | René Martinez | rowspan="7" | |
| May 6, 1989 | Everett | United States | Everett Civic Auditorium | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | ||
| May 8, 1989 | Bozeman | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse | ||||
| May 9, 1989 | Missoula | Harry Adams Field House | ||||
| May 10, 1989 | Boise | Morrison Center | 1,983 / 2,037 | |||
| May 12, 1989 | Santa Barbara | Arlington Theatre | rowspan="2" | |||
| May 18, 1989 | Phoenix | Celebrity Theatre | Robin Trower | |||
| May 20, 1989 | San Diego | Starlight Bowl | Robert Cray | 4,013 / 4,013 | $86,624 | |
| May 21, 1989 | Santa Clara | Redwood Amphitheater | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | rowspan="4" | ||
| May 22, 1989 | Santa Rosa | Luther Burbank Center | ||||
| May 23, 1989 | Sacramento | Community Center Theater | ||||
| May 25, 1989 | Eureka | Eureka Municipal Auditorium | ||||
| May 26, 1989 | Salem | L.B. Day Amphitheatre | John Hiatt | 4,253 / 8,868 | $78,861 | |
| May 27, 1989 | George | Champs de Brionne Music Theatre | 10,495 / 12,000 | $188,103 | ||
| May 29, 1989 | El Paso | Mountain Shadow Lakes | QID | |||
| North America[28] [29] | ||||||
| June 14, 1989 | Ottawa | Canada | Ottawa Civic Centre | Drew Nelson | rowspan="8" | |
| June 16, 1989 | Toronto | Kingswood Music Theatre | The Razorbacks | |||
| June 17, 1989 | Montreal | Centre Sportif | Colin James | |||
| June 20, 1989 | Saratoga Springs | United States | Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Henry Lee Summer | ||
| June 21, 1989 | Burlington | Burlington Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| June 24, 1989 | Bristol | Lake Compounce Festival Park | ||||
| June 25, 1989 | Mansfield | Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts | Johnny Winter, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers | |||
| June 27, 1989 | Poughkeepsie | Mid-Hudson Civic Center | Henry Lee Summer | |||
| June 29, 1989 | Pittsburgh | Melody Amphitheatre | Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers | 3,739 / 4,000 | $62,628 | |
| July 11, 1989 | Wilkes-Barre | F.M. Kirby Center | The Fabulous Thunderbirds | rowspan="29" | ||
| July 12, 1989 | Darien | Lakeside Amphitheater | Johnny Winter | |||
| July 14, 1989 | Cleveland | Nautica Stage | Frankie Starr & Chill Factor | |||
| July 15, 1989 | Columbus | Veterans Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| July 21, 1989 | Toledo | Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre | Stray Cats | |||
| July 22, 1989 | Noblesville | Deer Creek Music Center | Stray Cats, Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio | |||
| July 23, 1989 | Cincinnati | Riverbend Music Center | Stray Cats | |||
| July 25, 1989 | Memphis | Mud Island Amphitheatre | ||||
| July 29, 1989 | Hoffman Estates | Poplar Creek Music Theatre | ||||
| July 30, 1989 | Saint Paul | Harriet Island Regional Park | Stray Cats, Dave Mason | |||
| August 1, 1989 | Kansas City | Starlight Theatre | Stray Cats | |||
| August 2, 1989 | Evansville | Mesker Amphitheatre | 2,113 / 8,500 | |||
| August 4, 1989 | Columbia | Merriweather Post Pavilion | rowspan="17" | |||
| August 5, 1989 | Syracuse | Empire Court | ||||
| August 6, 1989 | Old Orchard Beach | Seashore Performing Arts Centre | ||||
| August 9, 1989 | Halifax | Canada | Halifax Metro Centre | |||
| August 10, 1989 | Moncton | Moncton Coliseum | ||||
| August 12, 1989 | Quebec City | Agora du Vieux-Port | René Martinez | |||
| August 13, 1989 | Gardner | United States | Polish American Citizens Club | Johnny Copeland, Southbound | ||
| August 17, 1989 | Clarkston | Pine Knob Music Theatre | ||||
| August 18, 1989 | Mears | Val-Du-Lakes | ||||
| August 19, 1989 | East Troy | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | Little Feat, Jeff Healey | |||
| August 21, 1989 | Morrison | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | B.B. King, Taj Mahal | |||
| August 22, 1989 | Park City | Deer Valley | Taj Mahal | |||
| August 25, 1989 | Concord | Concord Pavilion | B.B. King | |||
| August 26, 1989 | Los Angeles | Greek Theatre | ||||
| August 27, 1989 | ||||||
| August 29, 1989 | Tucson | Tucson Music Hall | Jimmie Wood and the Immortals | |||
| August 30, 1989 | Santa Fe | Paolo Soleri Amphitheater | Chris Whitley | |||
| September 2, 1989 | Houston | Astrodome | The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Ely | 35,726 / 36,000 | $803,835 | |
| September 3, 1989 | Dallas | Cotton Bowl | 35,385 / 36,000 | $796,163 | ||
| October 20, 1989 | Phoenix | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | ||||
| North America ("The Fire Meets the Fury")[30] [31] [32] | ||||||
| October 25, 1989 | Minneapolis | United States | Northrop Memorial Auditorium | 4,835 / 4,835 | $90,088 | |
| October 27, 1989 | Milwaukee | MECCA Arena | Jeff Beck | 4,651 / 5,500 | $83,870 | |
| October 28, 1989 | Chicago | UIC Pavilion | 8,407 / 8,407 | $164,040 | ||
| October 29, 1989 | St. Louis | Fox Theatre | Jeff Beck | rowspan="2" | ||
| October 31, 1989 | Columbus | Ohio Center | ||||
| November 2, 1989 | Toronto | Canada | SkyDome | Jeff Beck, Jeff Healey Band | 11,778 / 15,000 | $257,360 |
| November 3, 1989 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Center | 10,841 / 12,191 | $195,027 | |
| November 4, 1989 | Pittsburgh | A.J. Palumbo Center | Jeff Beck | 6,200 / 6,200 | rowspan="2" | |
| November 6, 1989 | Landover | Capital Centre | ||||
| November 7, 1989 | Philadelphia | Philadelphia Spectrum | Jeff Beck | 9,926 / 12,000 | $177,900 | |
| November 8, 1989 | Worcester | Centrum in Worcester | 13,101 / 14,000 | $237,281 | ||
| November 11, 1989 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | Jeff Beck | 18,565 / 18,565 | $417,713 | |
| November 12, 1989 | Troy | Houston Field House | ||||
| November 14, 1989 | Cleveland | Cleveland Public Auditorium | Jeff Beck | 7,995 / 7,995 | $139,913 | |
| November 15, 1989 | Dayton | Hara Arena | rowspan="3" | |||
| November 16, 1989 | Louisville | Louisville Gardens | Jeff Beck | |||
| November 18, 1989 | Birmingham | Boutwell Auditorium | ||||
| November 19, 1989 | Atlanta | Omni Coliseum | Jeff Beck | 6,348 / 9,500 | $111,090 | |
| November 21, 1989 | Miami | Miami Arena | 7,783 / 8,500 | $136,900 | ||
| November 22, 1989 | Tampa | USF Sun Dome | Jeff Beck | rowspan="6" | ||
| November 24, 1989 | Houston | Sam Houston Coliseum | ||||
| November 25, 1989 | Dallas | Fair Park Coliseum | Jeff Beck | |||
| November 26, 1989 | Austin | Frank Erwin Center | ||||
| November 28, 1989 | Albuquerque | Tingley Coliseum | Jeff Beck | |||
| November 29, 1989 | Denver | McNichols Sports Arena | ||||
| December 1, 1989 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | 13,734 / 16,511 | $279,864 | ||
| December 2, 1989 | Sacramento | ARCO Arena | 8,184 / 8,184 | $153,311 | ||
| December 3, 1989 | Oakland | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena | Jeff Beck | 13,178 / 13,178 | $258,759 | |
| December 5, 1989 | Vancouver | Canada | Orpheum Theatre | rowspan="3" | ||
| December 7, 1989 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre | |||
| December 8, 1989 | Portland | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | ||||
| December 31, 1989 | New York City | The Ritz | Roomful of Blues | |||
| North America[33] [34] | ||||||
| April 13, 1990 | Ann Arbor | United States | Michigan Theater | Ernie Isley | rowspan="5" | |
| April 14, 1990 | ||||||
| April 17, 1990 | Merrillville | Star Plaza Theatre | ||||
| April 18, 1990 | Cedar Rapids | Five Seasons Center | ||||
| April 20, 1990 | Fargo | Fargo Civic Center | ||||
| April 21, 1990 | Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls Arena | 1,600 / 8,000 | $29,600 | ||
| April 22, 1990 | Omaha | Omaha Music Hall | 2,585 / 2,608 | rowspan="8" | ||
| April 25, 1990 | San Antonio | HemisFair Park | Ernie Isley, Johnny Reno | rowspan="7" | ||
| April 28, 1990 | Memphis | Tom Lee Park | Etta James, Albert King, Johnny Winter | |||
| April 29, 1990 | Tulsa | River Parks Amphitheater | Ernie Isley | |||
| May 2, 1990 | Oklahoma City | Civic Center Music Hall | ||||
| May 3, 1990 | Abilene | Taylor County Expo Center | ||||
| May 4, 1990 | Austin | Auditorium Shores | Buddy Guy, Ernie Isley | |||
| May 6, 1990 | New Orleans | Fair Grounds Race Course | Boz Scaggs, BeauSoleil | |||
| North America ("Power and Passion")[35] [36] [37] | ||||||
| June 8, 1990 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker, Dr. John | ||
| June 9, 1990 | Costa Mesa | Pacific Amphitheatre | John Lee Hooker, Dr. John | 17,385 / 18,861 | $371,371 | |
| June 10, 1990 | San Diego | San Diego Sports Arena | Joe Cocker | rowspan="4" | ||
| June 13, 1990 | The Woodlands | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | ||||
| June 15, 1990 | Atlanta | Lakewood Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker | |||
| June 16, 1990 | Jackson | Mississippi Coliseum | ||||
| June 17, 1990 | Dallas | Starplex Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker, B.B. King | 14,960 / 20,000 | $285,402 | |
| June 19, 1990 | Pelham | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | rowspan="24" | |||
| June 20, 1990 | Nashville | Starwood Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker | |||
| June 22, 1990 | Cuyahoga Falls | Blossom Music Center | ||||
| June 23, 1990 | Clarkston | Pine Knob Music Theatre | ||||
| June 24, 1990 | Cincinnati | Riverbend Music Center | ||||
| June 27, 1990 | Noblesville | Deer Creek Music Center | Joe Cocker | |||
| June 28, 1990 | Burgettstown | Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheatre | 5,372 / 20,000 | |||
| June 30, 1990 | Philadelphia | Mann Music Center | Joe Cocker | rowspan="11" | ||
| July 1, 1990 | Manchester | Veterans Memorial Park | ||||
| July 3, 1990 | Essex Junction | Champlain Valley Exposition | Joe Cocker | |||
| July 4, 1990 | Bristol | Lake Compounce Festival Park | ||||
| July 5, 1990 | Stanhope | Waterloo Village | Joe Cocker | |||
| July 7, 1990 | Holmdel Township | Garden State Arts Center | ||||
| July 8, 1990 | Wantagh | Jones Beach Marine Theater | ||||
| July 10, 1990 | Hamilton | Canada | Copps Coliseum | |||
| July 11, 1990 | Montreal | Montreal Forum | Joe Cocker | |||
| July 13, 1990 | Canandaigua | United States | Finger Lakes Center for the Performing Arts | |||
| July 14, 1990 | Columbus | Capital Music Center | Joe Cocker | |||
| July 15, 1990 | St. Louis | Fox Theatre | 4,500 / 4,500 | |||
| July 16, 1990 | Kansas City | Starlight Theatre | Joe Cocker | rowspan="5" | ||
| July 17, 1990 | Englewood | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre | ||||
| July 20, 1990 | Salem | L.B. Day Amphitheatre | ||||
| July 21, 1990 | George | Champs de Brionne Music Theatre | ||||
| July 22, 1990 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum | Joe Cocker | ||
| July 24, 1990 | Anchorage | United States | Sullivan Arena | 6,131 / 8,751 | $144,079 | |
| July 25, 1990 | Fairbanks | Carlson Center | The Flyers | rowspan="2" | ||
| July 30, 1990 | Saint Paul | Harriet Island Regional Park | Dirty Dozen Brass Band | |||
| United States[38] [39] | ||||||
| August 24, 1990 | Kalamazoo | United States | Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds Grandstand | |||
| August 25, 1990 | East Troy | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | Robert Cray Band, Janata | 80,000 / 80,000 | $2,026,630 | |
| August 26, 1990 | ||||||
| Europe | ||||||
| Winterthur | Switzerland | Altstadt | rowspan="4" | |||
| London | England | Hammersmith Odeon | Colin James | |||
| Paris | France | Grand Rex | ||||
| United States | ||||||
| Lubbock | United States | South Plains Fairgrounds | rowspan="4" | |||
| Santa Fe | Paolo Soleri Amphitheater | |||||
| Bakersfield | Kern County Fair | |||||
