Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is preparing for a major return to the stage this summer, but the announcement of his upcoming tour comes alongside a deeply personal revelation about a health scare that kept him out of action last year.
Newsted will hit the road for his first-ever North American headlining tour with The Chophouse Band, an 18-date run beginning July 1 in Northampton, Massachusetts at Iron Horse Music Hall. The tour will travel across the South, Midwest, and East Coast before wrapping up with a two-night finale at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium on July 24 and July 25. Along the way, stops include cities such as Albany, Alexandria, Grand Rapids, and Knoxville.
In addition to the headline shows, Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band will also join Blackberry Smoke for 10 additional performances throughout July, marking a busy return to the road for the former Metallica bassist.
Speaking on an upcoming episode of Dean Delray’s “Let There Be Talk” podcast, Newsted also revealed that he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2025 and underwent surgery that same year. He explained that he is now in recovery and has recently been given positive news about his condition.
He said (via Blabbermouth): “If I could have been there, I would’ve been there. And so I will talk about this a little bit. I decided that this week, as I’m beginning to roll out the promotion for the shows and stuff and let everybody know I’m gonna be back around, and you already know it — you’re, probably, in the 24 people that I told.
“So, let’s see — in one week, it’s gonna be a year. So one week from today, it’ll be a year,” he revealed. “May 8th of 2025, I underwent a procedure for throat cancer. And so they took a bunch of s**t outta here and then they went in with lasers this way and took a bunch of s**t out. So the cavern inside my head is different than it was, but we got it early. And I got my ‘free and clear’ about three weeks ago. So I beat it.”
Reflecting further on the experience, Newsted described how it forced him to step back and reassess his lifestyle and pace for the first time in decades.
“I promised myself I was going to rest, and that was the first time I’ve done that in my life. I’m usually just on or off. And so I promised myself I was gonna take the gravity off and lay down for the right amount of hours. And there’s no way, with my arrogant, spoiled a** that I would’ve stopped smoking weed, that I would’ve stopped drinking, that I would’ve stopped doing all the things. But the great spirit got my attention and said, ‘That’s not good right now, man.’ And so it pulled me off it. And so now I’m more clear-headed than I’ve been in my entire adult life. And so there’s blessings within everything. The lemonade I’m making this summer, bro — mm. Sweet. Ooh.”
Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band 2026 North American Tour Dates:
- 01 Jul – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
- 02 Jul – Albany, NY – Empire Underground
- 03 Jul – Lititz, PA – Mickey’s Black Box
- 05 Jul – Wayne, PA – 118 North
- 06 Jul – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
- 09 Jul – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater*
- 10 Jul – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center*
- 11 Jul – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium*
- 12 Jul – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
- 15 Jul – Lewiston, NY – Artpark*
- 16 Jul – Utica, NY – Saranac Brewery*
- 17 Jul – Farmington, PA – Timber Rock Amphitheater*
- 18 Jul – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall*
- 20 Jul – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
- 21 Jul – Newport, KY – Southgate House Revival
- 22 Jul – Knoxville, TN – Open Chord
- 24 Jul – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium*
- 25 Jul – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium*
*Supporting Blackberry Smoke
