The Steepwater Band's East Coast blitz, big show announcement, and new music

Chicago rockers hit the road for a breakneck tour, plus an Aerosmith-linked supergroup gig and new music

The Steepwater Band’s East Coast Tour — 14 cities in 17 nights. PHOTO CREDIT: STEEPWATER BAND FACEBOOK PAGE

The Steepwater Band has played more than 2,000 shows in 27 years, so of course their first big tour of 2025 is a 13-city, 17-night gauntlet across the upper Midwest and Northeast. Time to shift your gears, because the Steepwater Band is riding into a memorable couple months.

The band — founding members Joe Winters (drums) and Jeff Massey (vocals/guitar) along with guitarist/vocalist Eric Saylors and bassist Joe Bishop — went to Indianapolis on Thursday (March 27) to finish some vocal tracks for their new song (more on that later). Then, the band hit the road Friday morning (March 28) for their first gig of the East Coast Spring 2025 Tour at Token Lounge in Westland, Mich., on Friday night (March 28), followed by the Vault in Saginaw, Mich., on Saturday (March 29). From there, it’s a nonstop sprint through Buffalo, Philly, NYC and beyond, culminating Sunday, April 13, in Pittsburgh.

And that’s just the beginning. Here’s what else the band has going on:

Close Enemies will play in Hobart, Indiana, with Steepwater opening, on June 13. PHOTO CREDIT: STEEPWATER BAND FACEBOOK PAGE

Opening for rock royalty: Close Enemies

Steepwater will open for Close Enemies — a new supergroup featuring Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton, the Babys’ Tony Brock Sheryl Crow’s guitarist Peter Stroud — on Friday, June 13, at Hobart Art Theater in Hobart, Indiana.

Winters caught Close Enemies in January at the City Winery in Chicago and said they were excellent: “A fresh take on a familiar sound,” Winters posted on Facebook. They have two singles available for streaming, with another coming April 11.

Tickets are available here. They’re going fast so don’t wait.

Filming the upcoming video in Steger. PHOTO CREDIT: STEEPWATER BAND FACEBOOK PAGE

New music (and a video) are coming

Earlier this month, the band teased a new music video shot at Austin Community Tavern in Steger.

Winters confirmed the video is for a nearly finished track. Saylors and Bishop added backing vocals to Massey’s lead vocal at Saylors’ studio before they left for the tour. The new song is slated for release this summer.

“It’s a fun song that rocks, and the lyrics say a lot about where we are as a band,” Winters said.

Track the chaos: A hand-marked map of Steepwater’s 13-stop sprint

The 13-stop road warrior tour

Here’s the full rundown of The Steepwater Band’s East Coast 2025 tour. Of note is the April 5 show in Lowell, Mass., benefitting PACH Outreach (a nonprofit providing food and other resources to families in need). Marc Ford usually headlines with Steepwater supporting, but Ford wasn’t able to perform at the event this year, so Steepwater is headlining with blues trio GA-20 supporting.

• Friday, March 28 — The Token Lounge, Westland, Michigan

• Saturday, March 29 — The Vault, Saginaw, Michigan (*opening for Mike Zito*)

• Sunday, March 30 — The Caz, Buffalo, New York

• Tuesday, April 1 — MilkBoy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Thursday, April 3 — Groove, New York, New York

• Friday, April 4 — Mauch Chunk Opera House, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

• Saturday, April 5 — Taffeta Music Hall, Lowell, Massachusetts (*PACH Outreach Benefit Show*)

• Sunday, April 6 — The Music Room Cape Cod, West Yarmouth, Massachusetts

• Monday, April 7 — The Brickhouse, Scarborough, Maine

• Wednesday, April 9 — Higher Ground, South Burlington, Vermont

• Thursday, April 10 — The Parting Glass, Saratoga Springs, New York

• Friday, April 11 — Fanatics Pub, Lima, New York

• Sunday, April 13 — Jergel's Rhythm Grille, Warrendale, Pennsylvania

For everything Steepwater Band, visit their website: Steepwater.com

New to Steepwater? Dive into their full catalog here:

Here are some other times I wrote about the Steepwater Band: