The Bad Plus Farewell Tour

The Bad Plus are playing 04 Center on Tuesday, September 22, as part of their farewell tour. It's a bit of a strange way to say goodbye, because the band you'll see on stage isn't the one most people know. The group has been around for 21 years, and for most of that time they were a piano trio. This current chapter is different: they're playing without a piano, and it's the first time they've ever toured like this.

Founding members Reid Anderson on bass and Dave King on drums are still the core, but they've brought in guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed to fill out the sound. It's a shift they say is re-energizing their inspiration, and it's a good way to frame a farewell tour—going out with a version of the band that feels new rather than just playing the hits one last time. If you've followed them since the early days, this is a very different beast from the piano-led records they built their name on.

They describe themselves as a democratic unit that's played with spirit and adventure for two decades while avoiding easy categorization. That's a polite way of saying they've never quite fit into one box, and they've spent twenty-one years making their own rules. Along the way, they've picked up critical acclaim and a global fanbase, and this piano-less incarnation is the latest turn in a long run of changing their sound.

Their most recent work is Complex Emotions, their 16th studio recording, which came out via Mack Avenue on November 8, 2024. You'll hear that material live at the show, alongside whatever else they pull from their catalog. The concert is at 04 Center, 2701 S Lamar Blvd, on Tuesday, September 22, starting at 8 PM, with doors opening at 7 PM.