After three decades of harmonizing across the country, the iconic a cappella group Tonic Sol-Fa is set to embark on their final tour. The “Tonic Sol-Fa End of An Era Tour 2025” will kick off at the Paramount Center for the Arts in St. Cloud on April 1st, a fitting location given the group’s origins at St. John’s University.
Shaun Johnson, a longtime member of the group, reflects on the journey, noting that while he wasn’t in the original lineup, he joined early on and has since been part of a stable quartet for 25 of the group’s 30 years. He also recalls their extensive travels:
“Except Washington State. I don’t know why we never went to Washington, but we went to every other state. We did go outside of the country to South Korea. We went to Mexico and Canada and you know, just all sorts of crazy places.”
Tonic Sol-Fa made history as the first a cappella group to be signed to a major record label. Their impact was further cemented in 2016 when they were inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame alongside Prince.
“You know, we were the first group to ever be signed to a major label that was a cappella. It was a whole story in itself, which was crazy. Interestingly, it’s like we got signed, gosh, I don’t know, maybe 10 years after we started, and that was something that I need to put into the memoirs, I think. But we also were inducted at the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame at the same time as Prince, which was a pretty amazing thing for us.”
The tour will hit select Midwest cities, including:
- Sioux Falls – April 12th
- Eau Claire – April 17th
- Burnsville – April 18th & 19th
- Des Moines – April 22nd
Johnson says St. Cloud holds special significance for the group, making it the perfect place to launch their farewell tour:
“It was where we began. It has so many memories, the Paramount. We’ve been there a million times for holiday shows. New Year’s shows. Regular shows. I think I’m probably most excited about that because I lived in St. Cloud for more than I’ve lived anywhere else, and just really excited to come back.”
Pre-sale tickets for the St. Cloud performance go on sale Wednesday, with general admission available starting next Friday. The demand is already high—Burnsville’s first show sold out, prompting the addition of a second, and Sioux Falls is also nearing capacity.
While no additional locations are planned, Johnson says they may add more dates at existing venues. The group is also working on new material for this final tour, ensuring fans experience the full history of Tonic Sol-Fa one last time.
