Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has officially hit the road as a headliner under his own banner. On Wednesday night (July 1), Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band launched their first-ever North American headlining tour at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts, and footage from the opening show has already made its way online.
From here, the band has seven more headlining stops ahead in markets including Albany, Alexandria, Grand Rapids and Knoxville, and will also open for celebrated Atlanta country-rock outfit Blackberry Smoke across 10 dates this month. All told, the 18-date trek runs through the South, Midwest and East Coast before wrapping with a two-night stand at Nashville’s hallowed Ryman Auditorium on July 24 and 25.
For Newsted, the run marks a milestone for a project that has largely operated out of the spotlight. Since 1992, Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band have surfaced now and then for benefit shows and charity gigs, lending support to causes ranging from veterans’ relief and animal rehabilitation to youth music and arts education programs. When the tour was announced back in April, Newsted framed it as the moment to finally bring the music to a wider audience:
“We’re fired up to finally take this to the people, and it’s an honor to head out on the road with the Blackberry crew for our first proper run. Blackberry Smoke has built a loyal following that knows and enjoys good music. We’ll be performing The Chophouse Band originals and selections from a few of our heroes. Even at places like the Ryman, we will play some acoustic-based tunes, but throughout the set it is guaranteed to get heavy!”
He further elaborated on his current musical focus and the project’s sonic direction:
“I’ve realized that this is where I can place my energy effectively now. The Chophouse is the continuation of my ambassadorship of American music. The Chophouse Band plays everything from bluegrass to f**king slabs of metal. We’re covering a lot of ground. There could be country flavor to a song, but it’ll still have sharp teeth. We are looking forward to an exciting summer!”
Musically, Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band deal in a gritty strain of outsider Americana, pulling from bluegrass, folk, soul and rock with a streak of heavy metal running through it. Newsted‘s lyrics lean personal, weaving his own stories into the songs for what may be his most revealing and unguarded work to date. The name traces back to the four recording studios he owns around the country, and the project itself dates to 1992, when he founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco. With Newsted on guitar and lead vocals, the band operates with a rotating cast of friends and collaborators from every musical background.
The 2026 lineup finds Newsted joined by Jesse Farnsworth (guitar, vocals), Jimbo Hart (bass, vocals), Humberto Perez (guitar) and Robert John-Tucker (drums, vocals).
Newsted parted ways with Metallica in 2001, but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame alongside Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and his own replacement, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.
Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band — 2026 tour dates:
- July 2 – Empire Underground, Albany, NY
- July 3 – Mickey’s Black Box, Lititz, PA
- July 5 – 118 North, Wayne, PA
- July 6 – The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
- July 9 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, Wilmington, NC *
- July 10 – Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC *
- July 11 – Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC *
- July 12 – Charleston Music Hall, Charleston, SC
- July 15 – Artpark, Lewiston, NY *
- July 16 – Saranac Brewery, Utica, NY *
- July 17 – Timber Rock Amphitheater, Farmington, PA *
- July 18 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH *
- July 20 – Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids, MI
- July 21 – Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY
- July 22 – Open Chord, Knoxville, TN
- July 24 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN *
- July 25 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN *
* supporting Blackberry Smoke
