The Commodores and Pointer Sisters Coming Soon to a Casino Near You?

Fans of 1970s rhythm and blues music will have an excellent opportunity to jam to some classic tunes this fall. R&B legends the Commodores, along with the Pointer Sisters, are opening ticket sales this week for a show in my hometown at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Event Center in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 14.

The show I hope to see is one of seven concert dates, with tickets going on sale today and Friday for a tour that so far consists of 21 stops. And the most popular location for these shows around the country is at casino locations.

On July 26, The Commodores and The Pointer Sisters pull into The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, for a show. 

Three of the final stops for the 2024 tour will see the groups hit the Choctaw Grand Theater in Durant, Oklahoma, on Oct. 5; the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Event Center in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 14; the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on Nov. 15; and they finish it out Nov. 30 at the casino-resorts way-way south on Las Vegas Boulevard in Primm, Nevada. 

Presale tickets became available on Wednesday morning, with the general public getting their shot at purchasing tickets beginning Friday at 10 am ET.

Tickets can be obtained through any of the casinos’ web pages, through Ticketmaster, or through The Commodores website.

Bringing the ‘Brick House’

The Commodores have been one of the legendary acts in the history of R&B music. Founded at Tuskegee University, the group was the amalgamation of two different bands, The Mystics and The Jays. The Mystics brought a jazz orientation to the proceedings, while The Jays embraced the soul aspects. Together, the newly formed Commodores began a career that has now spanned nearly 50 years. 

The Commodores 2024 Casino Tour

After winning a talent competition at Tuskegee, The Commodores would find their first success with the tune “Machine Gun” in 1974. With dual lead vocalists Lionel Richie and Walter “Clyde” Orange, the group would rocket to international stardom with two releases in 1977, the song “Easy” and the legendary “Brick House.” 

In 1978, The Commodores would earn the first of three Billboard #1 songs, the soulful “Three Times a Lady,” on their way to scoring seventeen Billboard Top 40 hits, selling over 100 million albums, and entertaining legions of dedicated fans in their career.

Carrying on the Legacy of the Family

The Commodores are joined in this performance by The Pointer Sisters, who bring their own legacy of excellence to the fore. After coming out of Oakland, California, in the late Sixties, The Pointer Sisters – June, Bonnie, Anita, and a fourth sister, Ruth – their career would have fits and starts until the release of their eponymous debut album. In 1975, they became the first black women to win a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song “Fairytale.”

After the departure of Bonnie from the group in 1977, the trio of Jun, Anita, and Ruth took The Pointer Sisters to the stratosphere. 

In the late Seventies, The Pointer Sisters scored with a remake of the Bruce Springsteen-penned “Fire,” taking it to #2 for two weeks and kept from the #1 slot by Chic’s “Le Freak.” 

The Eighties would be the heyday for The Pointer Sisters, scoring major hits in “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” “I’m So Excited,” and “Neutron Dance” from the cinematic film Beverly Hills Cop.

Ruth is currently the only original member left, with the passing of June in 2006 and Anita in 2022. She is joined by family in carrying on the legacy of The Pointer Sisters, with Ruth’s daughter Issa stepping to the front of the stage. They are joined by Ruth’s granddaughter Sadako, filling out the trio that will deliver the songs from the 65 years of The Pointer Sisters catalog.

For ticket information, visit Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's website or Ticketmaster for full details following the official opening of sales on April 19.