WAR Announce THE WORLD IS A GHETTO 50th Anniversary Tour
Today, WAR officially announce The World Is a Ghetto 50th Anniversary Tour, further expanding the rightful celebration behind the #1 Billboard top-selling album of 1973. From coast to coast this spring and summer, the legendary SoCal street band will perform songs from the record that cemented their legacy as “one of the most seminal bands in music” (Billboard), “one of the greatest American bands” (Paste), and “both a heavyweight live band and a sophisticated pop machine, slicker than Sly and the Family Stone and more down to earth than Funkadelic” (Pitchfork). In addition to classic cuts such as “The Cisco Kid” and “The World Is a Ghetto,” WAR will also fill their sets with eternal hits like “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider” and more that have become ingrained in America’s collective conscious, impacting generations and genres for nearly six decades. Upcoming dates include several stops across the Los Angeles area and the band’s native California, plus festivals and numerous other shows to be added soon. Find the initial run below and tickets HERE.
The World Is a Ghetto 50th Anniversary Tour comes on the heels of The World Is a Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition. Released via Avenue/Rhino Records, the 5-LP compendium was named one of the Best Box Sets of 2023 by The New York Times and Variety, earning rave reviews and re-evaluations from Pitchfork, Billboard, Associated Press, SPIN and more. Curated by WAR's producer, Jerry Goldstein, founding member and lead vocalist Lonnie Jordan, and Jeremy Levine, the Collector’s Edition features a newly remastered version of the album, six previously unheard bonus tracks from the original studio sessions, and unheard “making of” recordings that trace the entire evolution of the songs, from first note to master take. Following its limited edition vinyl run, both a CD and digital release of The World Is a Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition will be arriving this year.
In recent appearances on MSNBC, ABC News, Fox & Friends, NPR, KCRW and beyond, Lonnie Jordan has reflected on both The World Is a Ghetto and WAR’s continued mission to spread its message of harmony and inclusion, through songs that have soundtracked everything from the anti-Vietnam movement to the first Congressional Black Caucus, the first US-Soviet space mission, Barack Obama’s summer playlists and more.
Having racked up more than 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records, earning three Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominations, four #1 albums, nine Top 10s and twenty Top 40 songs, the way they sing out against racism, hunger, crime and other universal conflicts has made WAR as relevant today as they have ever been. The World Is a Ghetto served as the launching point for the band’s creative and commercial success, while also igniting WAR’s inexhaustible influence on R&B and hip-hop. The LP's songs have since been sampled, covered and referenced by Janet Jackson, Tupac, A$AP Mob, Geto Boys, Method Man, Rage Against The Machine, Sublime and more. The Muppets, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Shaggy, George Clinton, The Isley Brothers and so many others have also honored WAR's music over the years, with fans ranging from Dave Matthews to George Lopez, Korn, Phish and beyond.
The World Is a Ghetto 2024 Tour Dates
3/8 - Albuquerque - Isleta Casino
3/9 - Chandler, AZ - Wild Horse Pass Casino
3/14-3/17 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - 70's Rock & Romance Cruise
3/22 - Orlando, FL - Plaza Live
3/23 - Immokalee, FL - Seminole Casino
4/20 - Visalia, CA - Visalia Convention Center
4/27 - Dania Beach, FL - The Casino at Dania Beach
4/28 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater
5/3 - Pomona, CA - Los Angeles County Fair
6/2 - San Mateo, CA - San Mateo County Fair
8/7 - Sparks, NV - Hot August Nights
8/31 - Inglewood, CA - Fool In Love Festival
9/13-9/16 - Mexico - Super Legends Cruise