The Mavericks just announced that two new singers will lead their expansive 2026 tour, and fans are overwhelming excited for it.
The Music Lives On tour begins July 17 in Kansas City and runs into November.
Tickets for the tour go on sale May 8. A full list of dates is below.
The Mavericks Announce Two New Lead Singers
Taking to Instagram, the Mavericks thanked fans for an outpouring of support before revealing what led to a decision to carry forward instead of calling it quits.
Malo’s death “has been as difficult as you can imagine,” the post reads.
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“We know that we can never replace Raul… but we can still, in bold spirit, continue to play this joyous music, and celebrate The Mavericks’ legacy together.”
Two soulful singers will help with that. One had a huge country hit in 2008. The other nearly won America’s Got Talent in 2014.
James Otto and Emily West will front the Mavericks on tour this summer and fall.
The logistics aren’t totally clear, so it remains to be seen if both will appear at every show or if they’ll alternate. There are no announced plans to record with either.
Comments were overwhelmingly positive.
“Great choices with Emily and James. Emily’s singing on ‘I Should Have Been True’ at the tribute blew me and my wife away,” writes @ick_music.
“YESSS— this is big time!! Music IS the Medicine. Wonderful news!!” adds @_sarah.monica.
Both Otto and West are known as stunning vocalists with rare vulnerability and sensitivity. Otto notched a No. 1 hit with “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” and West reached the Top 40 with “Blue Sky,” a duet with Keith Urban.
Four years later she’d finish second on Season 9 of America’s Got Talent.
“I believe in my heart Raul would want the band and the music he spent a lifetime creating to play on,” Otto says on Instagram after noting his 20-year friendship with the group.
“What an honor it is to continue the legacy of this music Raul gave us while he was here on earth,” West adds.
These shows will mark the Mavericks’ first concerts since Malo’s death. While never radio staples, the band built a large, loyal fanbase on the strength of their live show across 30-plus years.
Tributes came pouring in after the 60-year-old’s passing, with hundreds speaking to his kindness and positive energy, in addition to his talents.
Malo’s wife Betty hasn’t yet commented on the new tour, but she has been keeping fans updated on her and her family’s well-being in the months since he died.
The Mavericks & Friends the Music Lives On Tour Dates:
July 17 — Kansas City, Mo. @ Knuckleheads
July 18 — Kansas City, Mo. @ Knuckleheads
July 23 — St. Louis, Mo. @ the Pageant
July 24 — Des Moines, Iowa @ Hoyt Sherman Place
July 25 — Prior Lake, Minn. @ Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
July 31 — Durham, N.C. @ Carolina Theatre
Aug. 1 — Charleston, S.C. @ Charleston Music Hall
Aug. 2 — Knoxville, Tenn. @ Bijou Theatre
Aug. 6 — Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Tower Theatre
Aug. 7 — Austin, Texas @ Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater
Aug. 8 — Dallas, Texas @ Majestic Theatre
Aug. 21 — Beverly, Ma. @ The Cabot
Aug. 22 — Webster, Ma. @ Indian Ranch
Aug. 27 — Red Bank, N.J. @ Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre
Aug. 28 — Jim Thorpe, Pa. @ Penn’s Peak
Aug. 29 — Lansdowne, Pa. @ Lansdowne Theater
Aug. 30 — Hammondsport, N.Y. @ Point of the Bluff Vineyards
Sept. 10 — Orlando, Fla. @ The Plaza Live
Sept. 11 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. @ Lillian S. Wells Hall at the Parker
Sept. 12 — Clearwater, Fla. @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
Sept. 18 — Houston, Texas @ House of Blues Houston
Sept. 19 — Helotes, Texas @ John T. Floors Country Store
Oct. 29 — Morristown, N.J. @ Mayo Performing Arts Center
Oct. 31 — Tarrytown, N.Y. @ Tarrytown Musić Hall
Nov. 6 — Royal Oak, Mich. @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Nov. 8 — Joliet, Ill. @ Rialto Square Theatre
Nov. 12 — Shipshewana, Ind. @ Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
Nov. 13 — Milwaukee, Wisc. @ Pabst Theater
Nov. 14 — Madison, Wisc. @ Orpheum Theater
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