Science fiction western Cowboy Bebop is one of the most beloved anime of the ’90s. “Bebop” refers to both the name of the main crew’s spaceship as well as a style of jazz music that features prominently in the music of the show. Fans were able to revisit the adventures of Spike Spiegel and the rest of the Bebop crew when Netflix released a live action adaptation of the series in 2021; a few years later, the soundtrack is getting its own time in the spotlight via Cowboy Bebop LIVE.
While attending a concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland, I saw an advertisement for an upcoming performance of Cowboy Bebop LIVE at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC. The description of the event on the venue’s website reads:
3, 2, 1, let’s jam! The Bebop Bounty Big Band brings together storytelling and high-octane jazz like you’ve never seen before. Cowboy Bebop LIVE is a complete multimedia experience highlighting the story of critically acclaimed anime, Cowboy Bebop on the big screen with live music by the Bebop Bounty Big Band. This 14-piece jazz ensemble features world-class musicians with members from the Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando Jazz Orchestra, and Disney’s Main Street Philharmonic. Travel the solar system with anime’s most iconic soundtrack at Cowboy Bebop LIVE!
In short, the 90-minute concert will feature clips from the Cowboy Bebop anime played on a screen while a live band performs the accompanying music. This type of event has gradually been increasing in popularity lately: to name just two examples, Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba In Concert both have many performances scheduled for 2024.
In a review of the show at the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville back in April of this year, an attendee wrote,
It’s 2024 and I’m told that jazz is old people music. Last Saturday I went to see Cowboy Bebop, essentially a big band show. The place was absolutely packed with an audience mostly under 40 and they were screaming their brains out for jazz. All is not lost. It was a fantastic show.
Live Nation is sponsoring a series of concerts in 20 different cities across the United States from mid-October to early December. There will also be seven performances (including the show at the Lincoln Theatre) not affiliated with Live Nation throughout the month of September, plus three in November and two in December. You can purchase tickets to both the Live Nation and non-Live Nation shows on Ticketmaster. Below is a list of tour dates and locations.
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- Thu Sep 12 & Fri Sep 13 | New York, NY | Gramercy Theatre
- Sat Sep 14 | Boston, MA | The Wilbur
- Sun Sep 15 | Westbrook, ME | Westbrook Performing Arts Center
- Wed Sep 18 | Washington, DC | Lincoln Theatre
- Sat Sep 21 | Norfolk, VA | Attucks Theatre
- Sun Sep 22 | Richmond, VA | Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center
- Tue Oct 15 | Chicago, IL | Anthenaeum Center
- Thu Oct 17 | Pittsburgh, PA | Roxian Theatre
- Fri Oct 18 | Indianapolis, IN | Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
- Sat Oct 19 | Grand Rapids, MI | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
- Sun Oct 20 | Detroit, MI | The Fillmore Detroit
- Tue Oct 22 | Columbus, OH | The Bluestone
- Wed Oct 23 | Cincinnati, OH | Bogart’s
- Thu Oct 24 | Cleveland, OH | House of Blues
- Fri Oct 25 | Louisville, KY | Mercury Ballroom
- Sun Oct 27 | Madison, WI | Barrymore Theatre
- Tue Oct 29 | Minneapolis, MN | Varsity Theater
- Wed Oct 30 | Omaha, NE | Steelhouse Omaha
- Thu Oct 31 | St Louis, MO | The Pageant
- Fri Nov 01 | Des Moines, IA | Val Air Ballroom
- Sun Nov 03 | Wichita, KS | The Cotillion
- Wed Nov 06 | Fort Collins, CO | Aggie Theatre
- Thu Nov 07 | Boulder, CO | Boulder Theatre
- Sat Nov 09 | Albuquerque, NM | Revel Entertainment Center
- Tue Nov 12 | Phoenix, AZ | The Van Buren
- Wed Nov 13 | Tucson, AZ | Rialto Theatre
- Thu Nov 14 | Riverside, CA | Fox Performing Arts Center
- Fri Nov 15 | El Cajon, CA | The Magnolia
- Sun Nov 17 | Los Angeles, CA | The Belasco
- Fri Dec 06 | Durham, NC | Carolina Theatre
- Sat Dec 07 | Atlanta, GA | Variety Playhouse
