| Concert Tour Name: | Memphis Blues Tour |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Artist: | Cyndi Lauper |
| Album: | Memphis Blues |
| Number Of Legs: | 8 |
| Last Tour: | Bring Ya to the Brink Tour (2008) |
| This Tour: | Memphis Blues Tour (2010–11) |
| Next Tour: | (2013) |
The Memphis Blues Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper, in support of her eleventh studio album. The tour visited the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. During the trek, Lauper performed at numerous jazz festivals including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jazz à Vienne and Jazz Fest Wien. In the fall of 2011, Lauper continued the tour as a co-headlining show with Dr. John titled From Memphis to Mardi Gras.[1] Lauper performed over a hundred concerts beginning in June 2010 and ending in November 2011.
Lauper announced the tour in April 2010 via her official website.[2] The singer stated the show will focus heavily on the blues sound of her album alongside her past hits.[3] The tour was designed to be an intimate tour. mimicking the jazz culture of the 1920s. Lauper wanted the show to emulate hearing good music in a "smoky cafe". While on tour, concertgoers were able to donate to charities supported by the singer including the Give a Damn Foundation. Lauper was joined on tour by Charlie Musselwhite and Allen Toussaint, who helped contribute to the making of her recent album. While on tour in Japan, Lauper concerts occurred during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Although the singer was urged to leave the island, Lauper stayed and continued to perform her shows as scheduled.[4] She donated the funds from her shows to help relief efforts. In Argentina, Lauper gave an impromptu performance of her hit "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" at the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery.[5]
| Date | City | Country | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America - Leg 1[12] | ||||
| June 25, 2010 | Morristown | United States | Mayo Center for the Performing Arts | |
| June 26, 2010 | Boston | House of Blues | ||
| June 27, 2010 | Englewood | Bergen Performing Arts Center | ||
| June 29, 2010 | Cleveland | House of Blues | ||
| June 30, 2010 | Chicago | |||
| July 1, 2010 | Detroit | Sound Board Theater | ||
| July 3, 2010 | Toronto | Canada | Queen's Park | |
| July 4, 2010 | Montreal | Métropolis | ||
| July 21, 2010 | New York City | United States | The Town Hall | |
| July 23, 2010 | Westhampton | Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center | ||
| July 24, 2010 | ||||
| July 25, 2010 | Northampton | Pines Theater | ||
| July 27, 2010 | New Bedford | Zeiterion Performing Arts Center | ||
| July 28, 2010 | Ridgefield | Ridgefield Playhouse | ||
| July 30, 2010 | Glenside | Keswick Theatre | ||
| July 31, 2010 | Myrtle Beach | House of Blues | ||
| August 1, 2010 | Orlando | |||
| August 3, 2010 | Miami | Knight Concert Hall | ||
| August 4, 2010 | Clearwater | Ruth Eckerd Hall | ||
| August 6, 2010 | Atlanta | Chastain Park Amphitheater | ||
| August 7, 2010 | Biloxi | Beau Rivage Theatre | ||
| August 8, 2010 | New Orleans | House of Blues | ||
| August 10, 2010 | Austin | Paramount Theatre | ||
| August 11, 2010 | Dallas | House of Blues | ||
| August 12, 2010 | Houston | |||
| August 14, 2010 | Albuquerque | Legends Theater | ||
| August 15, 2010 | Tucson | AVA Amphitheater | ||
| August 17, 2010 | Saratoga | Mountain Winery Amphitheater | ||
| August 18, 2010 | Napa | Uptown Theatre | ||
| August 20, 2010 | West Wendover | Peppermill Concert Hall | ||
| August 21, 2010 | Las Vegas | House of Blues | ||
| August 22, 2010 | San Diego | |||
| August 26, 2010 | Santa Ynez | Samala Showroom | ||
| August 27, 2010 | Los Angeles | Greek Theatre | ||
| August 28, 2010 | Reno | Grande Exposition Hall | ||
| September 1, 2010 | Portland | Oregon Zoo Amphitheater | ||
| September 2, 2010 | Seattle | North Meadow | ||
| September 3, 2010 | Vancouver | Canada | PNE Rogers Amphitheatre | |
| September 23, 2010 | Denver | United States | Paramount Theatre | |
| North America - Leg 2[13] | ||||
| November 27, 2010 | Washington, D.C. | United States | ||
| November 28, 2010 | Asheville | The Orange Peel | ||
| December 2, 2010 | Memphis | The Warehouse | ||
| December 4, 2010 | Newkirk | Council Bluff Event Center | ||
| December 5, 2010 | Concho | Lucky Star Casino Events Center | ||
| December 7, 2010 | Milwaukee | Northern Lights Theater | ||
| December 8, 2010 | ||||
| December 10, 2010 | Atlantic City | Tropicana Showroom | ||
| December 11, 2010 | Ledyard | MGM Grand Theater | ||
| December 12, 2010 | Waterbury | Palace Theatre | ||
| December 14, 2010 | Kingston | Ulster Performing Arts Center | ||
| December 15, 2010 | Tarrytown | Tarrytown Music Hall | ||
| December 18, 2010 | San Francisco | The Independent | ||
| South America[14] [15] | ||||
| February 19, 2011 | Recife | Brazil | Chevrolet Hall | |
| February 20, 2011 | Rio de Janeiro | Vivo Rio | ||
| February 22, 2011 | São Paulo | Via Funchal | ||
| February 23, 2011 | ||||
| February 25, 2011 | Goiânia | Atlanta Music Hall | ||
| February 26, 2011 | Cuiabá | Pavilhão das Nações | ||
| February 27, 2011 | Brasília | Centro de Eventos e Convenções Brasil 21 | ||
| March 1, 2011 | Porto Alegre | Teatro do Bourbon Country | ||
| March 3, 2011 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Teatro Gran Rex | |
| March 5, 2011 | Santiago | Chile | Teatro Caupolicán | |
| March 6, 2011 | Viña del Mar | Gran Ballroom | ||
| March 8, 2011 | Caracas | Venezuela | Anfiteatro del Sambil | |
| March 10, 2011 | Panama City | Panama | Teatro Anayansi | |
| Asia[16] | ||||
| March 15, 2011 | Nagoya | Japan | CU Center for Culture & Arts | |
| March 16, 2011 | Tokyo | Orchard Hall | ||
| March 17, 2011 | ||||
| March 18, 2011 | ||||
| March 21, 2011 | Osaka | NHK Osaka Hall | ||
| March 22, 2011 | ||||
| Australia[17] | ||||
| March 28, 2011 | Brisbane | Australia | QPAC Concert Hall | |
| March 29, 2011 | ||||
| March 31, 2011 | Sydney | State Theatre | ||
| April 1, 2011 | ||||
| April 2, 2011 | Newcastle | Newcastle Entertainment Centre | ||
| April 5, 2011 | Perth | Burswood Theatre | ||
| April 8, 2011 | Melbourne | Palais Theatre | ||
| North America | ||||
| May 5, 2011 | New Orleans | United States | Fair Grounds Race Course | |
| Europe[18] [19] | ||||
| June 12, 2011 | Reykjavík | Iceland | Harpa Concert Hall | |
| June 14, 2011 | Bergen | Norway | Ricks Teater | |
| June 16, 2011 | Stockholm | Sweden | Stora Salongen | |
| June 18, 2011 | Esbjerg | Denmark | Vognsbølparken | |
| June 20, 2011 | Manchester | England | Bridgewater Hall | |
| June 23, 2011 | Glasgow | Scotland | Glasgow Royal Concert Hall | |
| June 24, 2011 | Sheffield | England | Sheffield City Hall | |
| June 26, 2011 | Birmingham | Symphony Hall, Birmingham | ||
| June 27, 2011 | Bristol | Colston Hall | ||
| June 28, 2011 | Brighton | Brighton Dome Concert Hall | ||
| June 30, 2011 | London | HMV Hammersmith Apollo | ||
| July 1, 2011 | Oxfordshire | Great Tew Estate | ||
| July 3, 2011 | Paris | France | L'Olympia | |
| July 5, 2011 | Zürich | Switzerland | Kaufleuten | |
| July 5, 2011 | Basel | The Flower | ||
| July 8, 2011 | Vienne | France | Vienne Roman Theater | |
| July 9, 2011 | Esch-sur-Alzette | Luxembourg | Rockhal | |
| July 11, 2011 | Rome | Italy | Auditorium Parco della Musica | |
| July 12, 2011 | Istres | France | Pavillon de Grignan | |
| July 13, 2011 | Milan | Italy | Arena Civica | |
| July 15, 2011 | Vienna | Austria | Vienna State Opera | |
| July 18, 2011 | Hamburg | Germany | Laeiszhalle | |
| July 19, 2011 | Berlin | Admiralspalast | ||
| July 22, 2011 | Cartagena | Spain | Auditorio Parque Torres | |
| July 23, 2011 | Sant Feliu de Guíxols | Espai Port Marítim | ||
| July 24, 2011 | Madrid | Escenario Puerta del Ángel | ||
| July 25, 2011 | San Sebastián | Trinidad Square | ||
| North America - Leg 3[20] [21] | ||||
| October 7, 2011 | Lake Buena Vista | United States | House of Blues | |
| October 8, 2011 | Biloxi | Beau Rivage Theatre | ||
| October 9, 2011 | Birmingham | Jemison Concert Hall | ||
| October 11, 2011 | Greenville | Peace Concert Hall | ||
| October 12, 2011 | Atlanta | Williams Theatre | ||
| October 14, 2011 | Montclair | Wellmont Theater | ||
| October 15, 2011 | Englewood | Bergen Performing Arts Center | ||
| October 16, 2011 | Red Bank | Count Basie Theatre | ||
| October 18, 2011 | Washington, D.C. | 9:30 Club | ||
| October 19, 2011 | Westbury | NYCB Theatre at Westbury | ||
| October 21, 2011 | Glenside | Keswick Theatre | ||
| October 22, 2011 | Reading | Sovereign Performing Arts Center | ||
| October 23, 2011 | Boston | House of Blues | ||
| October 25, 2011 | Buffalo | Kleinhans Music Hall | ||
| October 27, 2011 | Carmel | The Palladium | ||
| October 28, 2011 | Aurora | Paramount Theatre | ||
| October 29, 2011 | Cincinnati | Taft Theatre | ||
| October 31, 2011 | Kansas City | The Midland by AMC | ||
| November 1, 2011 | Denver | Ogden Theatre | ||
| November 3, 2011 | Pala | Infinity Showroom | ||
| November 4, 2011 | Los Angeles | Club Nokia | ||
| November 5, 2011 | Reno | Grande Exposition Hall | ||
| Asia | ||||
| March 7, 2012 | Niigata | Japan | Niigata Prefectural Civic Center | |
| March 9, 2012 | Tokyo | Orchard Hall | ||
| March 10, 2012 | ||||
| March 11, 2012 | ||||
| March 13, 2012 | Osaka | Osaka International Convention Center | ||
| March 15, 2012 | Nagoya | Aichi Arts Center Hall | ||
| March 17, 2012 | Quezon City | Philippines | Smart Araneta Coliseum | |
| < | --Date--> | < | --City, (State or Country)--> | < | --Venue--> | < | --Reason/Additional Info--> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2011 | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Chevrolet Hall | Cancelled | ||||
| February 20, 2011 | São Paulo, Brazil | Via Funchal | Rescheduled to February 22, 2011 | ||||
| February 21, 2011 | São Paulo, Brazil | Via Funchal | Rescheduled to February 23, 2011 | ||||
| February 23, 2011 | Recife, Brazil | Chevrolet Hall | Rescheduled to February 19, 2011 | ||||
| February 25, 2011 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Citibank Hall | Rescheduled to February 20, 2011 and moved to Vivo Rio | ||||
| February 26, 2011 | Florianópolis, Brazil | Floripa Music Hall | Cancelled | ||||
| February 27, 2011 | Porto Alegre, Brazil | Teatro do Bourbon Country | Rescheduled to March 1, 2011 | ||||
| March 2, 2011 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Teatro Gran Rex | Rescheduled to March 3, 2011 | ||||
| March 3, 2011 | Santiago, Chile | Gran Ballroom | Rescheduled to March 5, 2011 | ||||
| March 5, 2011 | Lima, Peru | Jockey Club del Perú | Cancelled | ||||
| Venue | City | Tickets sold / available | Gross revenue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound Board Theater | Detroit | 1,189 / 1,560 (76%) | $57,412[22] | |
| Keswick Theatre | Glenside | 1,282 / 1,282 (100%) | $65,979[23] | |
| Knight Concert Hall | Miami | 1,369 / 1,800 (76%) | $70,376[24] | |
| Ruth Eckerd Hall | Clearwater | 1,423 / 2,180 (65%) | $67,480 | |
| Greek Theatre | Los Angeles | 3,563 / 3,701 (96%) | $151,250[25] | |
| 9:30 Club | Washington, D.C. | 901 / 1,200 (75%) | $40,545[26] | |
| Newcastle Entertainment Centre | Newcastle | 1,600 / 2,975 (54%) | $181,586[27] | |
| Bridgewater Hall | Manchester | 1,247 / 1,450 (86%) | $57,263[28] | |
| Glasgow Royal Concert Hall | Glasgow | 1,050 / 1,420 (74%) | $46,733 | |
| Sheffield City Hall | Sheffield | 1,011 / 1,510 (67%) | $48,359 | |
| Symphony Hall | Birmingham | 1,277 / 1,350 (94%) | $62,231 | |
| Colston Hall | Bristol | 936 / 1,324 (71%) | $42,459 | |
| Brighton Dome Concert Hall | Brighton | 958 / 1,422 (67%) | $45,407 | |
| HMV Hammersmith Apollo | London | 2,082 / 2,500 (83%) | $105,304 | |
| Williams Theatre | Atlanta | 803 / 2,451 (33%) | $45,617[29] | |
| 9:30 Club | Washington, D.C. | 631 / 1,200 (52%) | $28,395[30] | |
| Sovereign Performing Arts Center | Reading | 707 / 1,774 (40%) | $37,011[31] | |
| Club Nokia | Los Angeles | 1,343 / 1,500 (89%) | $60,559[32] | |
| TOTAL | 23,372 / 32,599 (72%) | $1,213,966 | ||
Lauper's performance during Jazz á Vienne was broadcast on live on French radio station France Inter. The show omitted "All Through the Night", with "Cross Road Blues" and "Down So Low" not broadcast in full.
A DVD/ CD of her performance on December 2, 2010 at The Warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee was released in October 2011 and was titled "Cyndi Lauper To Memphis, with Love." It was a unique film with documentary footage but included the performances of the entire set list of the show that night. The package includes a booklet that looked like a concert program with photos from the Memphis show in particular but also photos of Cyndi and her band in various places on the Memphis Blues tour.
The tour was praised by music critics and concertgoers. Katherine Feeny (Brisbane Times) gave the pop singer's concert at the QPAC Concert Hall four out of five stars. She says, "It's just one of example of her ability to endear herself to the room, an ability testament to her skill and experience. So too is Lauper's lack of need for showy stage and lighting. The sheer scale and gutsy thrust of her vocal range coupled with a dynamic presence more than fills the stage".[33] Michael Dwyer (The Sydney Morning Herald) gave the singer three and a half out of five stars. He writes, "Maybe the subtleties between thought and expression are redundant when a Broadway dynamo in a leather pantsuit is prowling the theatre, standing on chairs and bellowing that 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. But when she hit the right blend of power and soul - such as with Robert Johnson's Cross Roads Blues - Lauper channelled something more profound".[34]
The praise for the tour continued as Lauper began to perform in England. Kate Watkins (City Life) gave the performance at the Bridgewater Hall four out of five stars. She explains, "The night ended with a sombre performance of 'True Colors' which showcased the depth and feeling of her vocals which have only improved since she started singing the Blues".[35] Catherine Meek (The Argus) gave the concert at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall a positive review. She states, "Whether she was singing a track from her most recent album, 'Memphis Blues', with full backing, or a solo of an old favourite with nothing but the microphone and her dulcimer, Lauper's voice bellowed harmony".[36]