The Steve Miller Band is coming back to Southern California with three big stops.
The group will perform at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Oct. 28, the YouTube Theater in Inglewood on Nov. 6, and the Honda Center in Anaheim on Nov. 8. Tickets for the shows go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 9, at Ticketmaster.com.
The tour will showcase the band’s current lineup, which includes lead vocalist and guitarist Steve Miller, bassist Kenny Lee Lewis, keyboardist Joseph Wooten, guitarist Jacob Petersen and drummer Ron Wikso.
Miller founded the group in the late ’60s during the counterculture scene that dominated rock and roll. The group’s first three albums carried a blues and psychedelic influence, which were prominent in the sounds of rock at the time. The third album, “Brave New World,” features a credit for Paul McCartney but was done under the guise of “Paul Ramon.” McCartney played drums and bass and sang backing vocals for the song “My Dark Hour.”
By the ’70s, the band pivoted in a new direction, incorporating pop rhythms that were more radio-friendly, earning the group a massive following and fan base that extended beyond the decade. The Steve Miller Band’s most successful and iconic song, “The Joker,” came out of this era and has been Platinum-certified six times.
Miller released “J50: The Evolution of The Joker” in 2023 to commemorate the song’s 50th anniversary. The box set delves into the song’s production and evolution and features narration and commentary by Miller. It features 27 previously unreleased demos, live performances, studio outtakes and rehearsals from his personal archive.
The band has not been honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Miller was inducted as a solo artist in 2016. In a 2015 interview, Miller told Rolling Stone that he felt it was a long time coming and didn’t have much to do with the process except accepting the award.
“It wasn’t my decision, and I didn’t have any input into any of it. If they had asked me what to do, I think I would have said, ‘Here’s a list of everyone that was ever in my band. They all ought to be here,” Miller said.