The Chicks announce Columbus date for tour
Thirteen-time Grammy Award winners The Chicks will have fans singing “Goodbye, Earl” when they say, “Hello, Columbus!” during their show at Nationwide Arena on Aug. 16.
Tickets for the concert will go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 24 at Ticketmaster.com.
Originally known as The Dixie Chicks, the Dallas-based singers are as well-known for their outspokenness as they are for their music. Twenty years ago, Chicks lead vocalist Natalie Maines told a London audience that the group did not endorse the war and were ashamed that then-president George W. Bush was from their home state. Her comments incensed many fans and led to boycotts in the U.S.
More recently, the decision to drop “Dixie” from their name in mid-2020 was spurred by the word’s association with the Civil War-era South. A month later, they released “Gaslighter,” their fifth studio album and their first in 14 years.
With songs including “Not Ready to Make Nice,” “Landslide,” “Cowboy Take Me Away,” and the aforementioned controversial ode, “Goodbye, Earl,” The Chicks are universally recognized as the biggest-selling U.S. female band of all time. They have sold more than 30.5 million albums, placing them among an elite group of artists - and the only female group - to achieve multiple diamond-selling (10 million copies) releases.
Fellow award-winning artist Ben Harper join The Chicks on select dates including the Columbus show. The native Californian has three Grammys under his belt: Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 2004, and Best Blues Album in 2013.
Harper also is known for his philanthropy and activism, supporting groups including Little Kids Rock (now known as Music Will), a national nonprofit that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools.