Gavin DeGraw Is Taking 'Face the River' on a North American Tour and Says 'It Feels So Good'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC ImagesGet ready, fans!Gavin DeGrawmay be coming to a city near you.On Monday, the pop-rock musician announced he’ll embark on the Face the River tour throughout August and September in support of his seventh studio album of the same name. DeGraw shared the news on social media alongside the tour poster and expressed his excitement to perform.“It feels so good to be hitting the road this August and September on the ‘Face the River’ tour. The excitement of a new album and adding new music to the shows amplifies the experience so much more,” DeGraw, 45, wrote on Instagram.He continued, “To watch people connect so strongly to this material, which is so personal to me, has made performing these songs one of the greatest joys of my life. Presale begins tomorrow at 10AM local with code FACETHERIVER. All tickets are on sale this Friday, July 15.“The tour will kick off on Aug. 20 in Clearwater, Florida, and wrap Sept. 13 in Madison, Wisconsin.The “Summertime” singer released the 10-track album on May 20. At the time, DeGrawspoke to PEOPLE about writing the album in 2020after learning his beloved father, John Wayne, was sick and likely wouldn’t live for much longer.“As his progression got worse and worse, it really became more of a race against time. I was hoping he would get better, but then I was thinking, ‘God, if he doesn’t get better, I want him to hear this,'” DeGraw said at the time. “I really wanted him to hear it because it was dedicated to them. This was their record.“Not long after, Wayne underwent open-heart surgery, then suffered a mild stroke. He was eventually diagnosed with brain cancer and died in July 2020 —aftergetting to hearFace the River, much to DeGraw’s relief.“It was just this horrible series of events. [But] I feel like I finished it in the nick of time and played it for him in the nick of time, and that personally was important to me,” the musician said.Roy Rochlin/GettyAnd though Wayne died two years ago, DeGraw said that releasing the album any sooner would have taken too much of an emotional toll, as he wrote it from a “therapeutic standpoint” as a way of channeling his grief.“I don’t know if I would’ve been able to cope with singing the material on a regular basis,” the “Fire” singer said. “Songwriting has always been therapy for me. I wanted to pay homage to them— but this is not a funeral record, it’s a living record. I like to provide hope. I wanted them to live on in the best light through songs.“See DeGraw’s Face the River tour dates below:August 20 – Clearwater, FL @ Bilheimer Capitol TheatreAugust 23 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On StageAugust 24 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On StageAugust 26 – Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Performing Arts CenterAugust 28 – Great Neck, NY @ Steppingstone Park (*CLOSED SHOW)August 31 – Bethel, NY @ The Event Gallery at Bethel Woods Center For The ArtsSeptember 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity TheaterSeptember 9 – Green Bay, WI @ Epic Event CenterSeptember 10 – Des Plaines, IL @ Rivers Casino Des Plaines, The Event CenterSeptember 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst TheaterSeptember 13 – Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre

Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

Get ready, fans!Gavin DeGrawmay be coming to a city near you.On Monday, the pop-rock musician announced he’ll embark on the Face the River tour throughout August and September in support of his seventh studio album of the same name. DeGraw shared the news on social media alongside the tour poster and expressed his excitement to perform.“It feels so good to be hitting the road this August and September on the ‘Face the River’ tour. The excitement of a new album and adding new music to the shows amplifies the experience so much more,” DeGraw, 45, wrote on Instagram.He continued, “To watch people connect so strongly to this material, which is so personal to me, has made performing these songs one of the greatest joys of my life. Presale begins tomorrow at 10AM local with code FACETHERIVER. All tickets are on sale this Friday, July 15.“The tour will kick off on Aug. 20 in Clearwater, Florida, and wrap Sept. 13 in Madison, Wisconsin.The “Summertime” singer released the 10-track album on May 20. At the time, DeGrawspoke to PEOPLE about writing the album in 2020after learning his beloved father, John Wayne, was sick and likely wouldn’t live for much longer.“As his progression got worse and worse, it really became more of a race against time. I was hoping he would get better, but then I was thinking, ‘God, if he doesn’t get better, I want him to hear this,'” DeGraw said at the time. “I really wanted him to hear it because it was dedicated to them. This was their record.“Not long after, Wayne underwent open-heart surgery, then suffered a mild stroke. He was eventually diagnosed with brain cancer and died in July 2020 —aftergetting to hearFace the River, much to DeGraw’s relief.“It was just this horrible series of events. [But] I feel like I finished it in the nick of time and played it for him in the nick of time, and that personally was important to me,” the musician said.Roy Rochlin/GettyAnd though Wayne died two years ago, DeGraw said that releasing the album any sooner would have taken too much of an emotional toll, as he wrote it from a “therapeutic standpoint” as a way of channeling his grief.“I don’t know if I would’ve been able to cope with singing the material on a regular basis,” the “Fire” singer said. “Songwriting has always been therapy for me. I wanted to pay homage to them— but this is not a funeral record, it’s a living record. I like to provide hope. I wanted them to live on in the best light through songs.“See DeGraw’s Face the River tour dates below:August 20 – Clearwater, FL @ Bilheimer Capitol TheatreAugust 23 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On StageAugust 24 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On StageAugust 26 – Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Performing Arts CenterAugust 28 – Great Neck, NY @ Steppingstone Park (*CLOSED SHOW)August 31 – Bethel, NY @ The Event Gallery at Bethel Woods Center For The ArtsSeptember 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity TheaterSeptember 9 – Green Bay, WI @ Epic Event CenterSeptember 10 – Des Plaines, IL @ Rivers Casino Des Plaines, The Event CenterSeptember 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst TheaterSeptember 13 – Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre

Get ready, fans!Gavin DeGrawmay be coming to a city near you.

On Monday, the pop-rock musician announced he’ll embark on the Face the River tour throughout August and September in support of his seventh studio album of the same name. DeGraw shared the news on social media alongside the tour poster and expressed his excitement to perform.

“It feels so good to be hitting the road this August and September on the ‘Face the River’ tour. The excitement of a new album and adding new music to the shows amplifies the experience so much more,” DeGraw, 45, wrote on Instagram.

He continued, “To watch people connect so strongly to this material, which is so personal to me, has made performing these songs one of the greatest joys of my life. Presale begins tomorrow at 10AM local with code FACETHERIVER. All tickets are on sale this Friday, July 15.”

The tour will kick off on Aug. 20 in Clearwater, Florida, and wrap Sept. 13 in Madison, Wisconsin.

The “Summertime” singer released the 10-track album on May 20. At the time, DeGrawspoke to PEOPLE about writing the album in 2020after learning his beloved father, John Wayne, was sick and likely wouldn’t live for much longer.

“As his progression got worse and worse, it really became more of a race against time. I was hoping he would get better, but then I was thinking, ‘God, if he doesn’t get better, I want him to hear this,'” DeGraw said at the time. “I really wanted him to hear it because it was dedicated to them. This was their record.”

Not long after, Wayne underwent open-heart surgery, then suffered a mild stroke. He was eventually diagnosed with brain cancer and died in July 2020 —aftergetting to hearFace the River, much to DeGraw’s relief.

“It was just this horrible series of events. [But] I feel like I finished it in the nick of time and played it for him in the nick of time, and that personally was important to me,” the musician said.

Roy Rochlin/Getty

And though Wayne died two years ago, DeGraw said that releasing the album any sooner would have taken too much of an emotional toll, as he wrote it from a “therapeutic standpoint” as a way of channeling his grief.

“I don’t know if I would’ve been able to cope with singing the material on a regular basis,” the “Fire” singer said. “Songwriting has always been therapy for me. I wanted to pay homage to them— but this is not a funeral record, it’s a living record. I like to provide hope. I wanted them to live on in the best light through songs.”

See DeGraw’s Face the River tour dates below:

August 20 – Clearwater, FL @ Bilheimer Capitol Theatre

August 23 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage

August 24 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage

August 26 – Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Performing Arts Center

August 28 – Great Neck, NY @ Steppingstone Park (*CLOSED SHOW)

August 31 – Bethel, NY @ The Event Gallery at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts

September 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater

September 9 – Green Bay, WI @ Epic Event Center

September 10 – Des Plaines, IL @ Rivers Casino Des Plaines, The Event Center

September 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater

September 13 – Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre

source: people.com