Robert Plant Joins Lampedusa Charity Tour

The full tour runs from Oct. 6-21, starting in Boulder, Colo., and moving east for the remaining dates. Plant will take the stage for seven of the gigs, from Oct. 12 until the closing night at the Lisner Auditorium

“I’m taking a break from recording the new Sensational Space Shifters record to be a part of this very important and worthwhile cause,” Plant said in a statement.

“When I watch the news and see people from these places being displaced by hatred and ignorance, I know that these people are just like you and me. All they want is to live in peace and have their children grow up loved, fed and educated.”

In his statement Plant also draws attention to the fact that the beneficiary of the tour, Jesuit Refugee Service’s Global Education Initiative, is a religious organization focused on education, and his participation should not be construed as a political statement.

The tour takes its name from an Island off the coast of Italy, which made headlines in 2013 when 360 migrants died when a boat sank. The island also received a visit from Pope Francis that year, where he threw a wreath of flowers into the sea to honor the masses who have drowned attempting to illegally migrate into Europe.

Here is the routing for the Lampedusa this year, with the dates with Plant in bold:

Oct. 6 – Boulder, Colo., Boulder Theater
Oct. 8 – Kansas City, Mo., Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts – Helzberg Hall
Oct. 9 – Lincoln, NE, Rococo Theatre
Oct. 11 – St. Louis, Mo., Sheldon Concert Hall
Oct. 12 – Milwaukee, Wis., Pabst Theater
Oct. 13 – Chicago, Ill., Vic Theatre
Oct. 14 – Toronto, Ontario, Massey Hall
Oct. 16 – Boston, Mass., Berklee Performance Center
Oct. 18 – New York, N.Y., Town Hall
Oct. 19 – Philadelphia, Pa., Merriam Theater
Oct. 21 – Washington, DC, Lisner Auditorium

Select dates feature Buddy Miller and