# In Step Tour

The In Step Tour was a concert tour through the United States and Canada, undertaken by American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble from 1989 to 1990. Launched in support of their fourth and final studio album In Step, this was the third tour to include keyboardist Reese Wynans, who joined the band in 1985. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble achieved international fame when their debut album, Texas Flood, was released in June 1983. Throughout their subsequent concert tours, the group's success was confirmed as their performances consistently amazed and gratified their audiences. Similar to their previous tours, the In Step Tour was a minimalist production. The stage featured a simple light show that changed according to the mood of certain songs performed. Although Vaughan and Double Trouble never followed a set list, all ten songs from In Step were played at least once during the tour, and as many as seven of them were included in each of the band's performances.
Consisting of six legs and 136 shows, the In Step Tour began on May 4, 1989, in Vancouver and ended on August 26, 1990, in East Troy, Wisconsin. After the first two legs, Vaughan and Double Trouble co-headlined with Jeff Beck and Joe Cocker during the third and fifth legs, which were branded as "The Fire Meets the Fury" and "Power and Passion", respectively. The group had planned to embark on a European leg in September 1990, but it was canceled after Vaughan died in a helicopter crash following the East Troy concert on August 27, 1990, during a return flight to Chicago. Although the tour elicited a variety of reactions from music critics, it was generally well-received and garnered mostly favorable reviews. Along with being one of the highest-grossing concert tours of 1989, "The Fire Meets the Fury" leg was awarded for being the most creative tour package of the year by Pollstar magazine.

## Background

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble gained international fame after the release of their debut studio album Texas Flood in June 1983. Their second studio album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, and the supporting tour brought them to further commercial and critical success during the following year. After the addition of keyboardist Reese Wynans in 1985, the band released Soul to Soul and toured in support of the album, which was their first as a quartet. In Europe, the schedule of performances were canceled after Vaughan suffered from a substance abuse related illness, due to a long-term drug and alcohol addiction. He checked into a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta, where he stayed for four weeks and achieved sobriety; bassist Tommy Shannon checked into rehab in Austin.
Following their departure from rehab, Vaughan and Shannon reconvened with Double Trouble to begin the Live Alive Tour in November 1986, which supported the album that was released on November 17. Although Vaughan was nervous about performing while being sober, he received positive reassurance. Wynans recalled: "[He] had a little bit of self doubt. We rehearsed and were very encouraging to him." As the tour progressed, Vaughan was longing to work on material for the group's next LP, but in January 1987, he filed for a divorce from his wife Lenny, which restricted him of writing songs and recording an album for almost two years. After the proceedings were finalized in 1988, the band started recording their fourth and final studio album, In Step, at Kiva Studios in Memphis, where they worked with producer Jim Gaines.
Vaughan initially had doubts about his musical and creative abilities, but he gained more confidence as the sessions progressed. Shannon later recalled: "From my eyes, he went in scared to death ... In Step was, for him, a big growing experience." On January 21, 1989, the band took a break from recording and performed at a presidential inaugural celebration for George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C. When the sessions concluded, they participated in a concert organized by the Greenpeace organization, which took place on April 8, 1989, at the Mount Smart Supertop in Auckland, New Zealand.

## Touring personnel

Band:
* Stevie Ray Vaughan (Guitars, Vocals)
* Chris Layton (Drums)
* Tommy Shannon (Bass)
* Reese Wynans (Keyboards)
Management/Tour Staff:
* Paul "Skip" Rickert (Tour Manager)
* Mark Rutledge (Production Manager)
* Bill Mounsey (Stage Manager)
* Andy Elias (Set/Lighting Designer)
* René Martinez (Guitar Technician)
* John "Bondo" Bond (Keyboard Technician)
* Doug Alexander (Monitor Engineer)
* Trey Hensley (Lighting Technician)
* Dan Stuart (Lighting Technician)
* Gary Kudrna (Sound Technician)
* David Conyers (Sound Technician)
* Alex Hodges/Strike Force (Talent Management)

## Planning, itinerary, and billing

A rehearsal for the In Step Tour took place on May 3, 1989, at York Theatre in Vancouver, before the opening show at the city's Orpheum Theatre on the following night. Lighting technician Trey Hensley explained that Vaughan decided against lengthy rehearsals: "The band played all the time and didn't need rehearsal, and he didn't believe in spending money to rehearse." Like many of the group's preceding tours, which began ahead of the release of a new album, the tour started a month before In Step was released, giving fans a preview of new songs from the album. The first leg of the tour alternated between both indoor and outdoor venues, with 15 concerts that were mostly indoor arena and theatre shows in May. After the release of In Step on June 13, the band performed 25 concerts throughout the United States and Canada from June to September.
Two co-headlining legs in North America were subsequently planned—"The Fire Meets the Fury" with Jeff Beck from October to December 1989, and "Power and Passion" with Joe Cocker from June to July 1990. In preparation for the high-profile "The Fire Meets the Fury" leg of the tour, band management added Pennsylvania-based lighting designer Andy Elias to the touring staff. The simplistic light show was replaced with a more explosive design concept and state-of-the-art technology, featuring "intelligent" Vari*Lite lighting fixtures. Incoming lighting designer Andy Elias explained the band's new approach to visuals: "Before Stevie teamed up with Jeff, visual production was pretty low-key, basically lighting the stage with very few changes. The new concept tries to match Stevie's energy and stage presence."
Rehearsals for "The Fire Meets the Fury" began at Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis on October 23 and 24, before the official leg-opening Northrup Auditorium show on October 25. Both Vaughan and Beck were advertised as headliners and received equal billing for the tour. Vaughan's manager Alex Hodges commented: "We were very careful to have equal billing and everything done in a way that it would be hard to say anyone was taking advantage of the other."
During an extended break between the third and fourth legs of the tour, Vaughan recorded Family Style with his brother Jimmie Vaughan in March 1990. They worked with producer Nile Rodgers at Ardent Studios in Memphis, and it would be their first and only collaboration. The album was ultimately released in September 1990, a month after Vaughan's death. With the success of "The Fire Meets the Fury," Hodges made arrangements for the "Power and Passion" leg with Cocker: "We weren't trying to repeat the magic of the tour with Beck, but we thought it was a way to have a strong summer tour and give the fans something different."
Following the conclusion of "Power and Passion", Vaughan took a short break from touring with Double Trouble. In August 1990, he traveled to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, where he spent time vacationing with girlfriend Janna Lapidus. She later recalled the trip: "It was all one big barrel of laughs! We were goofballs." Shortly after they had returned to their Manhattan apartment in New York City, Vaughan left for Kalamazoo, Michigan on August 24, where he reconvened with the band to perform at the county fair. They then moved on to East Troy, Wisconsin, where they were booked for two nights as the opening act for Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre. Both shows, on August 25 and 26, were sold out with an audience of 40,000 each. The second show concluded with an encore jam session featuring Vaughan, Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and Vaughan's brother Jimmie Vaughan. In 1993, Clapton recalled Vaughan's performance: "[It was] beyond anything that I could even describe ... there was nothing missing. There was no room for improvement."
After the show, Vaughan talked with Layton backstage, where he expressed his gratification of the band's performances and optimism for the future of their career. Layton recalled the conversation: "He was in great spirits ... We talked for, I guess, almost thirty minutes." In the early morning of August 27, 1990, Vaughan and three members of Clapton's touring entourage boarded a Bell 206B, which was the third in a series of four helicopters to travel to Chicago's Midway Airport. The pilot, who was unqualified to operate a helicopter in foggy weather conditions, failed to gain enough altitude to fly the aircraft over a nearby ski hill, where it crashed shortly after takeoff. Vaughan and the four others on board were all killed instantly. The band had originally planned to visit England, France and Switzerland in September after being absent from the European touring circuit for over two years, but the rest of the tour was canceled. Vaughan was buried in his hometown of Dallas, Texas on August 31, 1990.

## Tour dates

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act(s) | Attendance | Revenue |
| North America |||||||
| May 4, 1989 | Vancouver | Canada | Orpheum Theatre | René Martinez | — | — |
| May 6, 1989 | Everett | United States | Everett Civic Auditorium | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | — | — |
| May 8, 1989 | Bozeman | | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | — | — |
| May 9, 1989 | Missoula | | Harry Adams Field House | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | — | — |
| May 10, 1989 | Boise | | Morrison Center | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | 1,983 / 2,037 | — |
| May 12, 1989 | Santa Barbara | | Arlington Theatre | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | — | — |
| May 18, 1989 | Phoenix | | Celebrity Theatre | Robin Trower | — | — |
| May 20, 1989 | San Diego | | Starlight Bowl | Robert Cray | 4,013 / 4,013 | $86,624 |
| May 21, 1989 | Santa Clara | | Redwood Amphitheater | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | — | — |
| May 22, 1989 | Santa Rosa | | Luther Burbank Center | Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings | — | — |
| May 23, 1989 | Sacramento | | Community Center Theater | | — | — |
| May 25, 1989 | Eureka | | Eureka Municipal Auditorium | | — | — |
| May 26, 1989 | Salem | | L.B. Day Amphitheatre | John Hiatt | 4,253 / 8,868 | $78,861 |
| May 27, 1989 | George | | Champs de Brionne Music Theatre | John Hiatt | 10,495 / 12,000 | $188,103 |
| May 29, 1989 | El Paso | | Mountain Shadow Lakes | QID | — | — |
| North America |||||||
| June 14, 1989 | Ottawa | Canada | Ottawa Civic Centre | Drew Nelson | — | — |
| June 16, 1989 | Toronto | Canada | Kingswood Music Theatre | The Razorbacks | — | — |
| June 17, 1989 | Montreal | Canada | Centre Sportif | Colin James | — | — |
| June 20, 1989 | Saratoga Springs | United States | Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Henry Lee Summer | — | — |
| June 21, 1989 | Burlington | United States | Burlington Memorial Auditorium | Henry Lee Summer | — | — |
| June 24, 1989 | Bristol | United States | Lake Compounce Festival Park | Henry Lee Summer | — | — |
| June 25, 1989 | Mansfield | United States | Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts | Johnny Winter, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers | — | — |
| June 27, 1989 | Poughkeepsie | United States | Mid-Hudson Civic Center | Henry Lee Summer | — | — |
| June 29, 1989 | Pittsburgh | United States | Melody Amphitheatre | Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers | 3,739 / 4,000 | $62,628 |
| July 11, 1989 | Wilkes-Barre | United States | F.M. Kirby Center | The Fabulous Thunderbirds | — | — |
| July 12, 1989 | Darien | United States | Lakeside Amphitheater | Johnny Winter | — | — |
| July 14, 1989 | Cleveland | United States | Nautica Stage | Frankie Starr & Chill Factor | — | — |
| July 15, 1989 | Columbus | United States | Veterans Memorial Auditorium | Frankie Starr & Chill Factor | — | — |
| July 21, 1989 | Toledo | United States | Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre | Stray Cats | — | — |
| July 22, 1989 | Noblesville | United States | Deer Creek Music Center | Stray Cats, Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio | — | — |
| July 23, 1989 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverbend Music Center | Stray Cats | — | — |
| July 25, 1989 | Memphis | United States | Mud Island Amphitheatre | Stray Cats | — | — |
| July 29, 1989 | Hoffman Estates | United States | Poplar Creek Music Theatre | Stray Cats | — | — |
| July 30, 1989 | Saint Paul | United States | Harriet Island Regional Park | Stray Cats, Dave Mason | — | — |
| August 1, 1989 | Kansas City | United States | Starlight Theatre | Stray Cats | — | — |
| August 2, 1989 | Evansville | United States | Mesker Amphitheatre | Stray Cats | 2,113 / 8,500 | — |
| August 4, 1989 | Columbia | United States | Merriweather Post Pavilion | Stray Cats | — | — |
| August 5, 1989 | Syracuse | United States | Empire Court | Stray Cats | — | — |
| August 6, 1989 | Old Orchard Beach | United States | Seashore Performing Arts Centre | Stray Cats | — | — |
| August 9, 1989 | Halifax | Canada | Halifax Metro Centre | Stray Cats | — | — |
| August 10, 1989 | Moncton | Canada | Moncton Coliseum | Stray Cats | — | — |
| August 12, 1989 | Quebec City | Canada | Agora du Vieux-Port | René Martinez | — | — |
| August 13, 1989 | Gardner | United States | Polish American Citizens Club | Johnny Copeland, Southbound | — | — |
| August 17, 1989 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre | | — | — |
| August 18, 1989 | Mears | United States | Val-Du-Lakes | | — | — |
| August 19, 1989 | East Troy | United States | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | Little Feat, Jeff Healey | — | — |
| August 21, 1989 | Morrison | United States | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | B.B. King, Taj Mahal | — | — |
| August 22, 1989 | Park City | United States | Deer Valley | Taj Mahal | — | — |
| August 25, 1989 | Concord | United States | Concord Pavilion | B.B. King | — | — |
| August 26, 1989 | Los Angeles | United States | Greek Theatre | B.B. King | — | — |
| August 27, 1989 | Los Angeles | United States | Greek Theatre | B.B. King | — | — |
| August 29, 1989 | Tucson | United States | Tucson Music Hall | Jimmie Wood and the Immortals | — | — |
| August 30, 1989 | Santa Fe | United States | Paolo Soleri Amphitheater | Chris Whitley | — | — |
| September 2, 1989 | Houston | United States | Astrodome | The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Ely | 35,726 / 36,000 | $803,835 |
| September 3, 1989 | Dallas | United States | Cotton Bowl | The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Ely | 35,385 / 36,000 | $796,163 |
| October 20, 1989 | Phoenix | United States | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | | — | — |
| North America ("The Fire Meets the Fury") |||||||
| October 25, 1989 | Minneapolis | United States | Northrop Memorial Auditorium | | 4,835 / 4,835 | $90,088 |
| October 27, 1989 | Milwaukee | United States | MECCA Arena | Jeff Beck | 4,651 / 5,500 | $83,870 |
| October 28, 1989 | Chicago | United States | UIC Pavilion | | 8,407 / 8,407 | $164,040 |
| October 29, 1989 | St. Louis | United States | Fox Theatre | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| October 31, 1989 | Columbus | United States | Ohio Center | | — | — |
| November 2, 1989 | Toronto | Canada | SkyDome | Jeff Beck, Jeff Healey Band | 11,778 / 15,000 | $257,360 |
| November 3, 1989 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Center | | 10,841 / 12,191 | $195,027 |
| November 4, 1989 | Pittsburgh | United States | A.J. Palumbo Center | Jeff Beck | 6,200 / 6,200 | — |
| November 6, 1989 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | | — | — |
| November 7, 1989 | Philadelphia | United States | Philadelphia Spectrum | Jeff Beck | 9,926 / 12,000 | $177,900 |
| November 8, 1989 | Worcester | United States | Centrum in Worcester | | 13,101 / 14,000 | $237,281 |
| November 11, 1989 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Jeff Beck | 18,565 / 18,565 | $417,713 |
| November 12, 1989 | Troy | United States | Houston Field House | | — | — |
| November 14, 1989 | Cleveland | United States | Cleveland Public Auditorium | Jeff Beck | 7,995 / 7,995 | $139,913 |
| November 15, 1989 | Dayton | United States | Hara Arena | | — | — |
| November 16, 1989 | Louisville | United States | Louisville Gardens | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| November 18, 1989 | Birmingham | United States | Boutwell Auditorium | | — | — |
| November 19, 1989 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum | Jeff Beck | 6,348 / 9,500 | $111,090 |
| November 21, 1989 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena | | 7,783 / 8,500 | $136,900 |
| November 22, 1989 | Tampa | United States | USF Sun Dome | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| November 24, 1989 | Houston | United States | Sam Houston Coliseum | | — | — |
| November 25, 1989 | Dallas | United States | Fair Park Coliseum | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| November 26, 1989 | Austin | United States | Frank Erwin Center | | — | — |
| November 28, 1989 | Albuquerque | United States | Tingley Coliseum | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| November 29, 1989 | Denver | United States | McNichols Sports Arena | | — | — |
| December 1, 1989 | Los Angeles | United States | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | | 13,734 / 16,511 | $279,864 |
| December 2, 1989 | Sacramento | United States | ARCO Arena | | 8,184 / 8,184 | $153,311 |
| December 3, 1989 | Oakland | United States | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena | Jeff Beck | 13,178 / 13,178 | $258,759 |
| December 5, 1989 | Vancouver | Canada | Orpheum Theatre | | — | — |
| December 7, 1989 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre | | — | — |
| December 8, 1989 | Portland | United States | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | | — | — |
| December 31, 1989 | New York City | United States | The Ritz | Roomful of Blues |
| North America |||||||
| April 13, 1990 | Ann Arbor | United States | Michigan Theater | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| April 14, 1990 | Ann Arbor | United States | Michigan Theater | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| April 17, 1990 | Merrillville | United States | Star Plaza Theatre | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| April 18, 1990 | Cedar Rapids | United States | Five Seasons Center | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| April 20, 1990 | Fargo | United States | Fargo Civic Center | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| April 21, 1990 | Sioux Falls | United States | Sioux Falls Arena | Ernie Isley | 1,600 / 8,000 | $29,600 |
| April 22, 1990 | Omaha | United States | Omaha Music Hall | Ernie Isley | 2,585 / 2,608 | — |
| April 25, 1990 | San Antonio | United States | HemisFair Park | Ernie Isley, Johnny Reno | — | — |
| April 28, 1990 | Memphis | United States | Tom Lee Park | Etta James, Albert King, Johnny Winter | — | — |
| April 29, 1990 | Tulsa | United States | River Parks Amphitheater | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| May 2, 1990 | Oklahoma City | United States | Civic Center Music Hall | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| May 3, 1990 | Abilene | United States | Taylor County Expo Center | Ernie Isley | — | — |
| May 4, 1990 | Austin | United States | Auditorium Shores | Buddy Guy, Ernie Isley | — | — |
| May 6, 1990 | New Orleans | United States | Fair Grounds Race Course | Boz Scaggs, BeauSoleil | — | — |
| North America ("Power and Passion") |||||||
| June 8, 1990 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker, Dr. John | — | — |
| June 9, 1990 | Costa Mesa | United States | Pacific Amphitheatre | John Lee Hooker, Dr. John | 17,385 / 18,861 | $371,371 |
| June 10, 1990 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| June 13, 1990 | The Woodlands | United States | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | | — | — |
| June 15, 1990 | Atlanta | United States | Lakewood Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| June 16, 1990 | Jackson | United States | Mississippi Coliseum | | — | — |
| June 17, 1990 | Dallas | United States | Starplex Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker, B.B. King | 14,960 / 20,000 | $285,402 |
| June 19, 1990 | Pelham | United States | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | | — | — |
| June 20, 1990 | Nashville | United States | Starwood Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| June 22, 1990 | Cuyahoga Falls | United States | Blossom Music Center | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| June 23, 1990 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| June 24, 1990 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverbend Music Center | | — | — |
| June 27, 1990 | Noblesville | United States | Deer Creek Music Center | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| June 28, 1990 | Burgettstown | United States | Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheatre | | 5,372 / 20,000 | — |
| June 30, 1990 | Philadelphia | United States | Mann Music Center | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 1, 1990 | Manchester | United States | Veterans Memorial Park | | — | — |
| July 3, 1990 | Essex Junction | United States | Champlain Valley Exposition | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 4, 1990 | Bristol | United States | Lake Compounce Festival Park | | — | — |
| July 5, 1990 | Stanhope | United States | Waterloo Village | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 7, 1990 | Holmdel Township | United States | Garden State Arts Center | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 8, 1990 | Wantagh | United States | Jones Beach Marine Theater | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 10, 1990 | Hamilton | Canada | Copps Coliseum | | — | — |
| July 11, 1990 | Montreal | Canada | Montreal Forum | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 13, 1990 | Canandaigua | United States | Finger Lakes Center for the Performing Arts | | — | — |
| July 14, 1990 | Columbus | United States | Capital Music Center | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 15, 1990 | St. Louis | United States | Fox Theatre | | 4,500 / 4,500 | — |
| July 16, 1990 | Kansas City | United States | Starlight Theatre | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 17, 1990 | Englewood | United States | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 20, 1990 | Salem | United States | L.B. Day Amphitheatre | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 21, 1990 | George | United States | Champs de Brionne Music Theatre | | — | — |
| July 22, 1990 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum | Joe Cocker | — | — |
| July 24, 1990 | Anchorage | United States | Sullivan Arena | Joe Cocker | 6,131 / 8,751 | $144,079 |
| July 25, 1990 | Fairbanks | United States | Carlson Center | The Flyers | — | — |
| July 30, 1990 | Saint Paul | United States | Harriet Island Regional Park | Dirty Dozen Brass Band | — | — |
| United States |||||||
| August 24, 1990 | Kalamazoo | United States | Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds Grandstand | | — | — |
| August 25, 1990 | East Troy | United States | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | Robert Cray Band, Janata | 80,000 / 80,000 | $2,026,630 |
| August 26, 1990 | East Troy | United States | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | Robert Cray Band, Janata | 80,000 / 80,000 | $2,026,630 |
| Europe |||||||
| September 7, 1990 | Winterthur | Switzerland | Altstadt | | — | — |
| September 9, 1990 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon | Colin James | — | — |
| September 10, 1990 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon | Colin James | — | — |
| September 13, 1990 | Paris | France | Grand Rex | | — | — |
| United States |||||||
| September 23, 1990 | Lubbock | United States | South Plains Fairgrounds | | — | — |
| September 25, 1990 | Santa Fe | United States | Paolo Soleri Amphitheater | | — | — |
| September 28, 1990 | Bakersfield | United States | Kern County Fair | | — | — |