The Here We Go Again Tour[1] was the seventh solo concert tour by American singer-actress Cher in support of her twenty-sixth studio album Dancing Queen. This was the first time the singer had embarked on a world tour since her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour (2002–2005). The tour started on September 21, 2018, and was forced to conclude on March 10, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3][4][5]
Background
On May 7, 2018, it was announced via various media outlets that Cher would embark on her first Australian solo tour in more than a decade and her seventh solo concert tour overall.[6] On May 17, 2018, it was announced that Cher would add two more dates in Melbourne and Sydney due to "overwhelming demand".[3] On June 27, 2018, it was announced that Cher will visit New Zealand for a concert before continuing the tour in Australia. A second concert in New Zealand was announced shortly after.[7][8] On September 3, 2018, it was announced that Cher would "farewell Melbourne" for a "third and final show" on October 6, 2018, due to high demand.[9][10] Later that same week, it was announced that Cher will take the Here We Go Again Tour to North America for 34 dates. The second leg of the tour started on January 17, 2019, in Florida and ended on May 30, 2019, in Vancouver.[4]
On December 11, 2018, it was announced that Cher would tour Europe for the first time in 15 years. The European leg of the tour started on September 26, 2019, in Berlin, Germany and finished on November 3, 2019, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Following this, Cher announced new tour dates in North America, beginning in Portland, Oregon on November 19, 2019.[11][12] On March 12, 2020, Cher announced her spring tour dates would be postponed to the fall, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the exception of Birmingham, Alabama, which was cancelled, due to planned renovations at the Legacy Arena during the rescheduled run.[13][14] However, due to the persistence of the pandemic in the United States, the rescheduled dates were all canceled.[15]
Concert synopsis
A giant curtain is set up where, during the start of the concert, a video montage featuring many moments of Cher's career is projected onto it. After the intro ends and the curtain drops, Cher appears wearing a purple toga and a blue wig, while standing on a bedazzled arched lift performing "Woman's World". The song is followed by "Strong Enough" and a 15-minute[16] on stage monologue where she infamously asks the crowd "what's your granny doing tonight?"[17][18] She leaves for a costume change, while the "Gayatri Mantra" is played. She returns on a mechanical elephant lip syncing the last part, and then she gets off the elephant and she performs "All or Nothing".[19] The next act is started with a video interlude of Cher and her late ex-husband, Sonny Bono, singing a medley of "Little Man" and "All I Ever Need is You". She starts performing "The Beat Goes On" followed by a brief speech where Cher talks about how she rarely performs the song "I Got You Babe" live with Bono joining her via a large-screen video monitor.[20]
A video interlude of Cher performing "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" follows and the next act starts with her dancers performing a Burlesque-inspired dance routine. Finally, Cher enters the stage in a Burlesque inspired outfit and sings "Welcome to Burlesque", followed by a costume change, with "Lie to Me" acrobatic interlude. She and her dancers reappear in 70's inspired clothes as she sings her covers of ABBA's "Waterloo" and "SOS". Cher then goes to an elevated platform and sings "Fernando", accompanied by a backdrop of fireworks.[21]
Cher, with the Here We Go Again Tour, was the third top-grossing female touring artist of 2019 and ranked at number 11 on Billboard's Year End Top 40 Tours.[22]Pollstar's Year End Top 100 Tours chart ranked Cher at number 20.[23] In 2019, Cher became the first female artist in history with the age of over 70 to gross over $100 million in one concert tour.
Critical reception
The tour has received mostly positive reception from critics, praising Cher's vocals as well as the elements of the show and the costume changes.[24][25] The European leg of the tour gained critical acclaim praising Cher's energy, performances, and humor.[26] The tour was nominated for a People's Choice Award in the "Favorite Concert Tour of 2019" category.[27]
Set list
The following set list is from the concert on January 17 in Estero, Florida. It does not represent all shows.[28]
^The concert on September 8, 2020, at the Amalie Arena in Tampa was originally scheduled to take place on March 26, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][41]
^The concert on September 10, 2020, at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola was originally scheduled to take place on March 22, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][43]
^The concert on September 12, 2020, at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston was originally scheduled to take place on March 20, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][44]
^The concert on September 14, 2020, at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati was originally scheduled to take place on April 7, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][45]
^The concert on September 16, 2020, at the FedExForum in Memphis was originally scheduled to take place on March 16, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][46]
^The concert on September 18, 2020, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City was originally scheduled to take place on March 12, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][47]
^The concert on September 20, 2020, at the Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock was originally scheduled to take place on March 14, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][48]
^The concert on September 22, 2020, at the Resch Center in Green Bay was originally scheduled to take place on April 13, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][49]
^The concert on September 24, 2020, at the Kohl Center in Madison was originally scheduled to take place on April 9, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][50]
^The concert on September 26, 2020, at the Fargodome in Fargo was originally scheduled to take place on April 11, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][51]
^The concert on September 28, 2020, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines was originally scheduled to take place on April 16, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][52]
^The concert on September 30, 2020, at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita was originally scheduled to take place on April 22, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][53]
^The concert on October 2, 2020, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City was originally scheduled to take place on April 18, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][54]
^The concert on October 4, 2020, at the Casper Events Center in Casper was originally scheduled to take place on April 24, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][55]
^The concert on October 6, 2020, at the First Interstate Arena in Billings was originally scheduled to take place on April 26, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][56]
^The concert on October 8, 2020, at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa was originally scheduled to take place on April 30, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][57]
^The concert on October 10, 2020, at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane was originally scheduled to take place on May 2, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][58]
^The concert on October 12, 2020, at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett was originally scheduled to take place on May 4, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][59]
^The concert on October 14, 2020, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento was originally scheduled to take place on May 6, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[13][60]
^The concert on October 17, 2020, at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City was originally scheduled to take place on April 28, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][61]
^The concert on November 12, 2020, at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln was originally scheduled to take place on April 20, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[13][62]
^The concert on December 5, 2020, at the American Airlines Arena in Miami was originally scheduled to take place on March 24, 2020, but was postponed, and eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][63]
Personnel
Adapted from the Here We Go Again Tour program credits.[64]