The Chicks announce first tour in five years

The Chicks are hitting the road again. The three-woman country band announced on Monday that they are going on tour this summer for their first major outing since 2017 — which also means it's their first big tour since changing their name from "The Dixie Chicks" in 2020.

Returning to live performance after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a complicated experience for many musicians. The Chicks — consisting of Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Strayer — released their last album, Gaslighter, in 2020, but were unable to tour due to the pandemic. The upcoming tour will hit 27 cities across North America.

"What I have missed the most about touring is the first couple minutes of every show," Strayer told the Associated Press. "The house lights going dark, the roar of the crowd and the opening song pumping through the PA. I think we've all missed being connected through live music!"

Maguire told the AP, "While we were recording the Gaslighter album, I was constantly picturing performing all of those songs on tour."

The tour kicks off June 14 in Maryland and runs through Aug. 13 in Washington state. Find all tour dates at the Chicks' website. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

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