The Bad Plus Brings Its Farewell Tour to New York's Sony Hall

The Bad Plus
Farewell Tour
Sony Hall
New York, NY
June 19, 2026

The Bad Plus has spent the better part of the 21st century as one of jazz's most successful crossover acts. The band, formed in Minnesota, broke through in 2003 with These are the Vistas (Columbia Records), featuring founding members Reid Anderson (bass), Dave King (drums), and Ethan Iverson (piano). Both the jazz and overall music communities bestowed quite a bit of attention to the album, because of its—at the time—still-novel jazz interpretations of alternative and electronic songs—Blondie's "Heart of Glass," Aphex Twin's "Film," and, most notably, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." These covers, as well as the album's dynamic, progressively vigorous take on piano-trio jazz, propelled the group not only to prominent spots at jazz clubs and festivals, but also in the indie rock scene. The group's popularity was particularly intriguing given, despite the covers of popular songs, its decidedly intellectual, near-avant-garde approach to music and genre, consistent with the members' diverse musical tastes. It was as if the band used the covers as bait to draw in unsuspecting music fans but rewarding them with something different, yet still fresh and innovative. Needless to say, the approach worked.

The Bad Plus continued to release music that reflected the band's unique perspective on jazz—certainly rock-centric, but by no means fusion in the traditional sense of the term. Covers of popular rock songs continued to populate the group's repertoire. The band carried itself like a rock band—signed to a major record label known for rock and pop (Columbia), working with producers such as Tchad Blake and Tony Platt who more commonly associated with rock acts, and, indeed, bearing a band name as opposed to the more common jazz practice of "Leader Plus Sidepeople." The group's popularity grew outside the traditional circle of jazz fans, with King's pounding approach to jazz drumming, as well as Iverson's aggressiveness on the piano, being key draws.

Throughout the years, The Bad Plus experienced changes both in lineup and musical framework. Iverson departed the group in 2017. He was replaced by pianist Orrin Evans, who himself left in 2021 after two albums. Following Evans' departure, the group eschewed the piano all together and reinvented itself as a saxophone-driven quartet that leaned heavily into the progressive side of the band's sound. The latest iteration consists of Anderson and King joined by guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed. It was with this lineup that Anderson and King announced, in May 2026, that they were ending The Bad Plus and embarking on their farewell tour.

The tour hit New York's Sony Hall on June 19, the venue packed with Bad Plus fans paying their final respects. As expected, this was not a typical jazz show. A jazz enthusiast used to performances at venues such as the Village Vanguard may be taken aback at the band's lack of intimacy, even ironic detachment, that one would more normally find at an indie rock show. Anderson, who acted as leader, spoke with an Upper Midwestern drollness that could come across as somewhat foreign or even condescending to typical patrons of New York jazz rooms.

With the relative vastness of Sony Hall, The Bad Plus may, in fact, be victims of their own success. With their new lineup and during the show, the band pivoted toward a more chamberesque sound, eschewing big rock covers in favor of energetic yet layered, modernistic compositions. As such, the performance was perhaps better suited for a lengthy residency at a smaller jazz club than a single night at a larger venue. The set consisted mostly of originals (including many from the lineup's latest album, Complex Emotions (Mack Avenue Records, 2024)), with one John Coltrane cover ("Your Lady," featuring a relatively modal Speed solo followed by a Monder/Speed duet freakout).

The atmospheric "Casa Ben" opened the set. The song featured Speed on clarinet, resulting in a sound not often heard in the modern jazz idiom but conveying an element of post-modernness nevertheless. Speed switched to saxophone starting with "French Horns," a jaunty banger that successfully balanced the "free" jazz concept with a level of accessibility befitting the group's large fan base. Anderson held it down on the bass, maintaining the swingy groove.

With the opening solo to his composition "Giant" (originally from piano trio-era Prog (Heads Up International, 2007)), Anderson played his upright bass like a guitar, with actual guitarist Monder taking Iverson's piano role on the original in the rhythm section. Monder played more traditional lead guitar on King's "Anthem for the Earnest" (from Suspicious Activity? (Columbia Records, 2005)), which was basically a rock song, with Monder cranking on a solo one might typically find on an indie-prog record, with Speed's saxophone taking the place of vocals.

True to the rock concert vibe of the evening, The Bad Plus took an encore. Speed's clarinet returned on "The Dandy," from the current lineup's debut self-titled album. The band closed out the song with a sweeping Monder solo. Young singer/keyboardist Frances Chang opened the show, delivering pleasing vibes with her take on ambient pop music.