Among this group is The Rolling Stones, who have been around for decades, yet easily packed stadiums and arenas around the world in 2006 and 2007. When asked to describe the difference between now and then, Mick Jagger replied that they were "still singing the same old songs" and that it's "just a more matured style of playing, with maybe some of the more extravagant edges taken out." Although no upcoming shows have been announced, they have hundreds of thousands of fans ready to buy show tickets buy show tickets at the drop of a hat. Just as excited are Jimmy Buffett's fans this year, who are rushing to get back to Margaritaville and grabbing up Jimmy Buffett tour tickets by the hundreds. The sounds of the Florida Keys, it seems, will never go out of style.

After more than 30 years in the business, Rush is going strong in 2008 on their Snakes and Arrows tour. One of their stops, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, will also be home to one of James Taylor's concert tour dates shortly after. It's a great year for comeback tours in Charlotte, NC! Lynyrd Skynyrd, having gone through several changes the past 20 years, will also be appearing in Charlotte for their Rowdy Frynds tour.

Other avenues for getting important band announcements, especially for those bands that may not already have a well established online community, is to look up their fan websites. Most are free and provide endless information about your favorite artists, such as the B-52s. Did you know they dropped the apostrophe in their name earlier this year? And that after 16 years, they just released a new original album titled Funplex and are continuing to tour this year? There's nothing like a good B-52s show (see, no apostrophe), so I'd suggest getting those B-52s Tickets as soon as they go on sale.

Another big performer who never seems to lose ground is Billy Joel. His world tour has been in full swing since 2005, and with the 2002 release of the Broadway hit Movin' Out, his songs have been brought back to life and are in the spotlight again. The Billy Joel tour schedule touched fans worldwide, including a free show in Rome in front of the Colosseum as well as shows in Ireland and London in 2006.

Comparing the number of bands that have been around since the 70's to the bands from the last 15 years, there still seems to be a considerable number that continue to evolve and sell out venues across the world. REM tour dates, for example, draw crowds no matter how long it's been since their last tour, proving that talent stays in style, no matter now much time passes.

(Originally Published on October 09, 2008)