Warren Haynes Band to bring Southern rock, blues to Rogue Valley with concert at the Holly as part of his Million Voices Whisper Tour

The Grammy award-winning, rock ‘n’ roll legend Warren Haynes is headed to Southern Oregon later this month, bringing his bravado and musical versatility to local listeners at the restored Holly Theatre in Medford. 

As part of his Million Voices Whisper Tour, Haynes and his roster of gifted musicians will be visiting venues across the United States before moving on to Western and Central Europe throughout the spring and summer. 

“It’s exciting to be back on the road, and I’m going to be playing at a lot of places I haven’t played in a while or never played at,” Haynes said. “We’re adding new material as the tour goes on and keep expanding the repertoire; it’s very exciting.”

The band will perform their infectious bluesy, Southern rock songs from Savannah, Georgia, to San Francisco and from London to Winterbach, Germany. 

Returning to the road, Haynes doesn’t worry too much about what to bring, rather focusing on the music and giving his best on every stage. 

“There’s nothing I feel like I have to have, the routine turns into its own sort of thing; there’s much focus on the music and rehearsal and soundcheck and the days are hectic, but in a good way,” he said. “We like to travel by bus because you have all your personal stuff there, and it’s a little more fun than flying all the time.”

Haynes and his bandmates will perform here in the Rogue Valley at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Holly Theatre, located at 226 W. Sixth Street in Medford. 

Tickets range from $49 to $69 per person and can be purchased at hollytheatre.org.

More than half of the concert tickets have been sold already. 

The tour is happening in celebration of the artist’s recent album, “Million Voices Whisper,” which was released in November 2024. It is the fourth solo collection of his career and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart at the time of its release. 

The 11-song record incorporates the sounds of rock, blues and soul and features Lukas Nelson, Jamey Johnson and Haynes’ longtime friend and musical peer Derek Trucks.

“It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve made a solo record, and that’s mostly due to the fact that Gov’t Mule (one of Haynes’ other musical projects) took priority, and we made at least three Gov’t Mule records since then,” he said. “I only make solo records when I feel like I’ve written a batch of new songs that work together and have a common thread, and that’s definitely the case here.”

“Million Voices Whisper” includes tunes Haynes had been working at and tweaking for a long while, including “These Changes,” a jam-style song co-written with Trucks and originally started by former bandmate and rock icon Greg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. 

“I think my writing process changed a little bit starting in the COVID lockdown,” Haynes said. “I had so much time on my hands writing music and taking new approaches and doing a lot of experimenting, dealing with subjects and sitting on parts of life I hadn’t focused on in the past.” 

The theme of the record is “looking at (life) from a new point, in a positive light, embracing the future and focusing on the things that are most important,” he added. 

Haynes is a vocalist, songwriter, guitar maestro, producer and frontman born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. 

He’s best known for his work as a longtime guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band from 1987 to 2014, and as a founding member of jam band Gov’t Mule, while also working with David Allan Coe and The Dickey Betts Band. 

Haynes has also worked with members of The Grateful Dead, touring with Phil Lesh & Friends and The Dead while also being the founder and manager for Evil Teen Records. 

A self-described “Gibson man,” Haynes was recently honored by the renowned guitar brand with the release of his first signature guitar, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard.

“I’ve worked with Gibson for a long time and played Gibson guitars; that sound is part of me finding my own voice,” he said. “The new guitar is something I’d been working toward for a long time and it feels great to have a signature model out there that’s hopefully accessible.”

The instrument consists of a mahogany body with a plain maple cap, a 1960s cherry finish, with a rosewood fretboard and more features catered toward the artist’s style. 

“I’m loving the P-90 pickups,” Haynes said. “Having mostly played Humbuckers, playing the P-90s reminds me how much I love that sound and it’s inspired new forms of sonic expression.” 

To learn more about Haynes, visit warrenhaynes.net.

For information on the upcoming concert and future events at the Holly Theatre, which reopened in March after a multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation, go to hollytheatre.org.

Reach reporter James Sloan at james.sloan@rv-times.com.