ABC/Paula LoboIt’s been a while since OneRepublic opened for another act, but starting this Saturday, June 30, they’ll do the honors for superstar country act Zac Brown Band at stadiums in Atlanta, Detroit, Washington, D.C., New York, Minneapolis and Seattle. OneRepublic doesn’t have a new album to promote but they do have several good reasons for stepping into the opening slot.
“Zac Brown Band offered us a few opening dates in these venues and we thought, ‘Why not? They’re gonna be amazing crowds…let’s do it!'” OneRepublic guitarist Zach Filkins tells ABC Radio.
For one thing, the band enjoys playing in stadiums.
“Stadiums are incredible…they’re a very special venue,” says Zach. “So I think those are just gonna be great crowds. Zac Brown Band puts on an amazing show, they’re great guys and we just thought, ‘Yeah, let’s go around with them for a little bit.'”
The other reason, Zach explains, is to keep their chops up. According to the guitarist, if OneRepublic doesn’t continually play shows, it’s difficult for them to get back into the groove when it’s time to do their own tour.
“While we’re somewhat in the shadows working on new music, we never like to completely take time off from playing live,” he explains. “Because we miss it, number one, and number two, we lose our edge and it’s always a huge shock.”
“If we take too much time off from playing live, it’s a weird shock to the system to get back on stage,” he adds. “So we like to just always be doing something, even if it’s just little things here and there.”
OneRepublic may perform their new single, “Connection,” at the shows. The song will be featured in a new TV ad campaign for Jeep.
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