With countless tunes you know from the first note, rip-roaring gigs you can count on, and a whole lot of energy you’ll take home with you, BoDeans continue to contribute to the American songbook as a tried-and-true institution.
Band leader Kurt Neumann remains at the helm, and continues to create adding to the already existing generational anthems such as “Good Things”, You Don’t Get Much”, “Idaho”, and “Closer to Free”, just to name a few. The band has just completed tracking their 15th studio album tentatively titled “1983” with plans to release during the 40th anniversary tour in 2026.
BoDeans emerged out of Waukesha, WI in 1986 with the seminal debut, “Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams”, produced by T Bone Burnett. Following “Outside Looking In” [1987], “Home” [1989], and “Black and White” [1991], “Go Slow Down” [1993] yielded “Closer to Free”, which famously served as the theme song for the smash hit television series Party of Five. With a sought-after discography, their music landed hundreds of television and film placements. Meanwhile, they transformed into a proven live phenomenon by supporting the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, and David Bowie in addition to gracing the bills of Farm Aid, Summerfest, and ACL. Speaking to the group’s legacy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame permanently entrenched BoDeans in the Midwest Artists exhibit. Along the way, NETFLIX’s The Ranch also utilized over 70 tunes from Kurt, while Hulu’s The Bear integrated the band’s repertoire in to episodes in seasons two and four. Neumann also hosts his own podcast titled Staring At The World.
When any artist approaches a milestone anniversary, it is a catalyst for self-reflection. And with Kurt Neumann, when looking back on forty years, his perspective shared is simply poignant. He offers: “If you could somehow go back and get your hands on a yearbook from my graduating class, 1979 Waukesha South Black Shirts … And you flipped through the pages and found my picture… you’d find a picture of a plain average looking boy/man. But more interestingly… You’d see a quote underneath that says ‘never too old to rock ‘n’ roll.’ Well… After 40 years of driving from town to town to play the many songs I’ve written over the years I have to say… I’m not so sure anymore”. He continues: “That is to say… I’m starting to feel every mile and every show and every leap from every drum riser, and piano and run through the audience. Every night of sleeping in a bad hotel bed or a bunk on a moving bus. Or driving through the night at 3 AM, trying to get to your hotel room so you can just lay your head down and finally get some sleep. And hopefully the pillows don’t smell as bad as you know they will. When you step off into a journey like this, you never know just where it may lead or for how long. I knew I wanted to do something positive and creative in this world. And though there have been many ups and downs over the last 40 years… Some extremely stressful on me and my family… music was always that beautiful escape for me in my life. And so, I would escape into it every day. But I never ever imagined I would be standing up on a stage, singing my songs even for one year. Standing up there and singing my songs with the tens of thousands of people who have joined me night after night has been in immense pleasure. A great gift. There’s too much struggle and hardship in this world. If I can bring some happiness into somebody’s world for just a couple hours then I’ve accomplished what it was I set out to do. These songs I sing are intended to deliver a very simple message of peace and love and happiness in the time we have here”. He goes on: “I know it’s not very cool but it’s what resonates inside me. So, we will once again go from town to town for our 40th year anniversary tour. Playing music from as many of our 15 records as we can fit into a two-hour show. Celebrating this music and trying most of all to make that connection with an audience who has been good enough to make this music part of their lives as well. I’m hoping people will come out and sing these songs with me again. Kind of a celebration of the time we’ve all spent together. And together we could create some more positive energy in a world that could really use it”.
US Tour Dates 2026:
01/30 Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino Showroom
01/31 Skokie, IL – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
03/05 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up – CA
03/06 Malibu, CA – Smothers Theatre Pepperdine University
03/07 Menlo Park, CA – Guild Theatre
03/08 Sonoma, CA – Sebastiani Theatre
03/14 Phoenix, CA – Celebrity Theatre
03/15 Tucson, AZ – Fox Tucson Theater
04/03 La Crosse, WI – La Crosse Center Riverside Ballroom
04/04 Wausau, WI – The Grand Theater
04/09 Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House
04/10 Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House
04/11 Aurora, IL – Paramount Theatre
04/17 Indianapolis, IN – The Shelton Auditorium
04/18 Hobart, IN – Hobart Art Theater
04/30 Old Saybrook, CT – Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
05/01 Salisbury, MA – Blue Ocean Music Hall
05/02 Plymouth, MA – The Spire Center for the Performing Arts
05/03 Springfield, MA – Hope Center for the Arts
05/05 Kingston, NY – Assembly Kingston
05/06 Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel – Count Basie Center for the Arts
05/07 Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
05/08 Annapolis, MD – Rams Head On Stage
05/09 Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
05/13 Oakmont, PA – The Oaks Theater
05/14 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
06/05 Green Bay, WI – Meyer Theatre
06/06 Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theatre
* (Additional show announcement January 6, 2026 for late adds and shows playing June onward)
Tickets for performances already on-sale can be purchased here. The ensemble features Kurt Neumann (guitar, vocals), long tenured band members Stefano Intelisano (keyboards, accordion) and James Hertless (bass, harmony vocals), alongside new addition Stephen Belans (drums), who has collaborated with Alejandro Escovedo, James McMurtry, Rosie Flores and others in the past.
Weblinks:
bodeans.com
www.facebook.com/bodeans
