First headlining U.K. & Irish tour in over seven years
[Photo Credit: Matt Grace]
UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING ENTRY TO NEWLY ANNOUNCED SHOWS:
Flight of the Conchords and their representatives have addressed the issues with secondary ticketing sites and resellers that followed the October 23, 2017announcement. In an effort to thwart reselling at higher prices, tickets for the newly announced shows are not transferrable and the purchaser must show photo ID matching the lead booker’s name to gain admission to the show.
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Let us start the week off with this exciting news: Grammy Award-winning folk comedy duo Flight of the Conchords (aka Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie) will return to the U.K. & Ireland in March of 2018.
The “Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour,” is their first U.K. & Irish headlining tour in over 7 years. Jemaine and Bret will showcase new material at these shows. The arena and theatre tour will make stops in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin, Glasgow, Leeds, and Liverpool.
The UK & Irish edition of “Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour” will begin with a two-night stand March 19th & 20th, 2018 in London at Eventim Apollo and ends April 1st, 2018 in Liverpool at Echo Arena Liverpool. Tickets will be on sale Friday, October 27th at 10am GMT.
UPDATE: Tickets for newly announced shows will be on sale Friday, November 3rd at 10am GMT.
Mar. 05 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall Mar. 06 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall Mar. 07 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall Mar. 09 - York, UK - Barbican Mar. 10 - York, UK - Barbican Mar. 11- York, UK - Barbican Mar. 13 - Milton Keynes, UK- Milton Keynes Theatre Mar. 14 - Milton Keynes, UK - Milton Keynes Theatre Mar. 15 - Milton Keynes, UK - Milton Keynes Theatre Mar. 18 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo [Sold Out] Mar. 19 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo [Sold Out] Mar. 20 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo [Sold Out] Mar. 22 - Birmingham, UK - Birmingham Genting Arena [Sold Out] Mar. 23 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Arena [Sold Out] Mar. 25 - Dublin, IE - 3Arena [Sold Out] Mar. 26 - Glasgow, UK - The SSE Hydro [Sold Out] Mar. 27 - Leeds, UK - Leeds First Direct Arena [Sold Out] Mar. 29 - London, UK - The O2 [Sold Out] Mar. 30 - London, UK - The O2 [Sold Out] Apr. 01 - Liverpool, UK - Echo Arena Liverpool [Sold Out] Apr. 02 - Dublin, IE - 3Arena Apr. 03 - London, UK - The O2
About Flight of the Conchords: In 2005, Bret and Jemaine received an invitation to perform at the Aspen Comedy Festival, in Colorado, USA. Against tradition they left New Zealand’s summer to go to the northern hemisphere’s winter and were shocked by the snow when they stepped off the plane in t-shirts and jandles. The HBO executives liked their act and asked them to film a half hour performance for a stand-up comedy show called One Night Stand.
Over the next four years they made a TV pilot, a sitcom, released an EP (The Distant Future) and a full length album (self-titled LP), toured North America, made a sandwich, filmed a second season of the sitcom, toured North America again, released a second album (I Told You I Was Freaky), and went back to New Zealand.
The HBO sitcom became a hit. This, along with the praise for the subsequent album releases (on Sub Pop Records) and the duo’s live show, was the comedic hat trick that catapulted Flight of the Conchords to international sensations.
The Conchords would also see major success individually. Jemaine lent his voice to the character Nigel the cockatoo in the Rio films (2011 and 2014).
He was cast as “Boris The Animal” in Men in Black 3 (2012). Jemaine also wrote, produced and starred in a variety of projects including the acclaimed Vampire comedy film, What We Do In the Shadows and People Places Things. More recently, he joined the cast of The BFG, the new Steven Spielberg adaptation of the Roald Dahl book, as the giant named Fleshlumpeater.
Bret has also been hard at work writing and acting for various television and film projects. Most notably The Muppets (2011) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014), the former of which won him an Academy Award for “Best Original Song” for the power ballad “Man or Muppet”. In 2012 he starred in the New Zealand black comedy Two Little Boys and then in 2013 he was cast in Jerusha Hess’s romantic comedy Austenland. He is currently writing the screenplay and songs for a film adaption of Neil Gaiman’s book Fortunately the Milk as well as penning tunes for the upcoming Disney film Bob the Musical.
And somehow, between all of the film and TV work, the Conchords managed to co-headline the “Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival” alongside Dave Chappelle in 2013.
In 2016, Jemaine and Bret announced the wildly successful “The Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour.” The duo premiered new material alongside fan favorites, and quickly sold out amphitheatres and concert halls across the U.S. Also that year, the duo headlined Tenacious D’s Festival Supreme in Los Angeles (read more at Sub Pop).
FINALLY. Marika Hackman’s co-headlining North American tour with The Big Moon (in support of Marika’s Sub Pop debut I’m Not Your Man) begins this weekend.
Stereogum calls I’m Not Your Man “A collection of unabashedly real songs…Hackman’s greatest weapon is her words, and she uses her dark wit to lure you in while conveying strong messages about her life and society.” Meanwhile, The Guardian, offers this, “Her pearlescent lightness is still there in her sweetly sung cut-glass vocals, but in place of acoustic twangs there are heavy lidded licks and an overall louche noir. Grunge and shoegaze set the tone this time: the diaphanous guitar chimes enveloping like a cape.” And Pitchfork says of I’m Not Your Man, “The London singer’s sophomore album is a bracing, darkly funny blend of folk and Britpop. Her tactile lyrics keep the songs melodically strong and full of surprises…the proper arrival of a bold, young British force.”
The tour runs Saturday, July 29th at Bootleg Theatre in Los Angeles through Wednesday, August 16th in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right. The Big Moon, will act as her backing band for this trek (and are the studio musicians with whom she recorded I’m Not Your Man). The 14-city tour will also visit Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Denver, Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, and more. The Big Moon are currently supporting Love in the 4th Dimension, out now on Columbia Records.
Jul. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg* Jul. 31 - Oakland, CA - Starline Social Club* Aug. 02 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios* Aug. 03 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret* Aug. 04 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern* Aug. 06 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court* Aug. 07 Denver, CO - Lost Lake* Aug. 09 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry* Aug. 10 - Milwaukee, WI - Back Room at Collectivo* Aug. 11 - Chicago, IL - Schubas* Aug. 13 - Toronto, ON - The Drake* Aug. 14 - Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo* Aug. 15 - Boston, MA - Great Scott* Aug. 16 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right* *w/ The Big Moon
I’m Not Your Man is out now on CD / LP / DL / CS in North & South America from Sub Pop andthe rest of the world via AMF Records. Read more about it here.
What “The People” are saying about I’m Not Your Man:
Witty, sexy, confident, and charged with live energy, I’m Not Your Man is the sound of Marika Hackman making the album she always needed to make.” [5/5 stars] - DIY
“I’m Not Your Man is, at times, a Marika Hackman that is almost unrecognisable and it’s exciting. She’s more open and frank, discarding the metaphors in favor of the straight-talking lyrics, accompanied by a more feral and energetic sound…This is the Marika Hackman she wanted us all to see and it’s one you should readily welcome with open arms.”“ [8.5/10, Album of the Week] - The Line of Best Fit
“I’m Not Your Man…is not only a welcomed departure but also one that showcases Hackman’s ability to use a bevy of soundscapes. From road trip sing-a-long, “Time’s Been Reckless,” to the medieval Vashti Bunyan-esque “Apple Tree,” to the Spaghetti Western goth rock of “AM,” it’s evident that Marika pulls out all the stops on her sophomore effort, clawing her way out of a Brit-folk pigeonhole.” - Nylon
“It’s a statement that this album roundly contradicts, being warm-hearted and emotionally liberated throughout.” - Loud and Quiet
“Her follow-up reveals a funnier side of Hackman’s personality, one where she seems more at ease with talking about her sexuality. The album’s highlight, a Built to Spill–adjacent grunge song called “Boyfriend,” sees Hackman confronting men who sexualize queer relationships…I’m Not Your Man shines in its playful pronoun switching, stories of explicit sex, and the taut tightrope it straddles between what we might consider feminine sounds (Hackman’s voice is soft and airy) and masculine sounds (much of the record is inspired by her teenage years listening to Nirvana).” - The Cut
“More than anything ‘I’m Not Your Man’ is the sound of Marika Hackman making a statement. A statement that pushes her to the forefront with an album that dazzles and welcomes anyone in with open arms, and lays out a path for the artist and role she’s destined to become.” - Dork
“I’m Not Your Man proves an emotional and sonic progression for Hackman, a record that at its best is affecting and fun. It shows her to be an artist growing in her stride, increasing her capacity to be more artful and at once more true.” [4/5 stars] - The Skinny
“I’m Not Your Man is your ticket into Marika Hackman’s life and mind – uncensored, honest, sarcastic, emotional, gripping, and beautiful…Every minute of I’m Not Your Man feels like a breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief, a joyous laugh.” - Atwood Magazine
“Marika Hackman’s latest evolution is a triumph that finds equilibrium amid both wit and heart.” [4/5 stars] - All Music
“I’m Not Your Man proves an emotional and sonic progression for Hackman, a record that at its best is affecting and fun. It shows her to be an artist growing in her stride, increasing her capacity to be more artful and at once more true.” - The Skinny
2017 tour schedule begins May 23rd with sold-out show at New York’s The Apollo Theatre
“Arabian Heights” is the driving new track from The Afghan Whigs’ forthcoming album, In Spades, which will be out in stores and on the airwaves May 5th. This new song exudes the gutbucket exoticism of Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti writ large, driven by drummer Patrick Keeler’s bravura, tribal cadences. Greg Dulli says of Keeler’s contribution, “Rick [Nelson, who engineered the album] got incredible drum sounds, and what Patrick does on that song is a master class in drumming.”
In further exciting news, The Afghan Whigs will be performing a sold out show at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY on Tuesday, May 23rd. “We are thrilled to be performing at The Apollo,” Dulli remarked. “So many of my heroes both musical and otherwise have graced the stage there and it will be our honor to do so as well.”
The Afghan Whigs have also announced their first set of dates in support of In Spades in Europe. The band will visit 17 countries this summer including performances at Primavera Sound and Northside Festival. Ed Harcourt will be supporting on all European headline shows. (See dates below.)
In Spades is now available for preorder on CD / 180 gram-LP / CS / DL from Sub Pop over here. The album, led by the single “Demon In Profile” and the aforementioned “Arabian Heights,” alongside standouts “Oriole,” “Copernicus,” and “Toy Automatic,” is the follow-up to the band’s internationally acclaimed Do to the Beast. In Spades, written and produced by Greg Dulli, was recorded in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Memphis and Joshua Tree.
LP pre-orders of In Spades will receive the “Loser” edition on 180-gram, white-chocolate vinyl (while supplies last). A new T-shirt design, along with cassette versions of The Afghan Whigs’ classic Sub Pop albums Up In It and Congregation, are now also available.
[Photo Credit: Chris Cuffaro]
Treat yourself: watch this video for lead track, “Demon In Profile,” directed by longtime collaborator Phil Harder.
The Afghan Whigs Tour Schedule May 23 - Harlem, NY – The Apollo Theater [Sold Out] May 26 - Manchester, UK - Cathedral May 27 - Glasgow, UK - ABC May 28 - Dublin, IE - Academy May 30 - London, UK - Koko Jun. 01 - Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound Festival Jun. 03 - Bologna, IT - Zona Roveri Jun. 04 - Zagreb, HR - Tvornica Kulture Jun. 06 - Warsaw, PL - Palladium Jun. 07 - Berlin, DE - Kesselhaus Jun. 09 - Aarhus, DK - Northside Festival Jun.10 - Oslo, NO - Vulkan Jun.12 - Hamburg, DE - Gruenspan Jun.13 - Frankfurt, DE - Batschkapp Jun.14 - Antwerp, BE – Trix [Sold Out] Jun.15 - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique [Sold Out] Aug. 04 - Vienna, AT - WUK Aug. 05 - Prague, CZ - Lucerna Music Bar Aug. 06 - Zurich, CH - Mascotte Aug. 08 - Munich, DE - Backstage Halle Aug. 09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Aug. 10-12 – Gothenburg, SE – Way Out West Festival Aug. 13 – Helsinki, FL – Flow Festival
REAL NEWS: Sub Pop has signed the politically charged Downtown Boys to a universe-wide record deal! The Providence, RI-based band is currently at work on their label debut, which will be released later this year. While we wait for details on the new album, the band will play a series of U.S. tour dates beginning March 6th in Baltimore at Ottobar and ending March 24th in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right.
Highlights for the tour include a series of shows at SXSW March 14-17. These dates are bookended by two stand-alone performances: February 3rd in Washington, DC at the Black Cat and a sold-out April 20th show at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church. (Current tour dates listed below.
About Downtown Boys: Now that the United States has a despot instead of a president, Downtown Boys are that much more driven to use their anger and their joy to drill away at the walls of white supremacy’s brain. Based in Providence, RI, the band released their acclaimed debut album, Full Communism, in 2015, and they have been touring their powerful live show throughout North America and Europe since 2012. They bring an aggressive dissonance to make a harmonious message against the erasure of people of color, queer people, femmes, and those of us who have always been in the center of the pit whether you knew it or not.
The band is currently working with Greg Norman and Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto on their second LP, and they join the countless people filling streets and airports around the country to loudly proclaim #NoBan, #NoRegistry, #FuckWhiteSupremacy.
“Those who still defend the supremacy of white male hetero-patriarchy had better watch out.” – Angela Davis, inauguration day speech, 2017.
Feb. 03 - Washington, DC - The Freedom Fair @ Black Cat* Mar. 06 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar** Mar. 07 - Raleigh, NC - Duke Coffeehouse** Mar. 08 - Nashville, TN - Third Man Records** Mar. 09 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia** Mar. 10 - Houston, TX - Walter’s** Mar. 11 - McAllen, TX - Yerberia Cultura** Mar. 13 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger** Mar. 14-17 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 18 - Dallas, TX - Not So Fun Weekend @ Club Dada # Mar. 19 - Hot Springs, AR - Valley of Vapors** Mar. 20 - Chattanooga, TN - JJ’s Bohemia** Mar. 21 - Asheville, NC - The Mothlight** Mar. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Everybody Hits** Mar. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right** Apr. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church [SOLD OUT]^
* w/ Two Inch Astronaut, Loi Loi, and Kosi & Free Thyme ** w/ Sneaks # w/ Chastity Belt, Weaves, and Flasher ^ w/ Paint It Black, Praise, Gouge Away, and Soul Glo
Friends don’t let friends miss out on Beach House news, so here’s something you can (and really should) shout from your figurative and/or literal rooftops: Beach House has scheduled a series of 2017 international headlining and festival tour dates which span March 29th through August 18th - tickets for US headlining dates go on sale Friday at 10am EST. Eastern US dates will include stops in Wilmington, Lancaster, Charlotte, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Athens, and Knoxville. European cities currently include stops in Copenhagen and Parades de Coura, Portugal. (List of dates is below.)
Beach House will also appear at the Ceremonia Festival near Mexico City on April 1st and New York’s Governors Ball on June 2nd.
You might also be delighted to know that Beach House is currently at work on a rarities and B-sides compilation that will be released during the first half of 2017. So stay tuned, dear reader…
Mar. 29 - Wilmington, DE - World Cafe Live Mar. 30 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club Apr. 01 - Mexico City, MX - Ceremonia Festival May 24 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre May 26 - Orlando, FL - Beacham Theatre May 27 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Revolution May 28 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall May 30 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre May 31 - Knoxville, TN - Mill & Mine Jun. 02 - New York, NY - Governor’s Ball Aug. 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Haven Aug. 18 - Parades de Coura, PT - Parades de Coura Festival
Following the release of their third LP (and Sub Pop debut) Return to Love, and countless miles logged in North America, New York’sLVL UP just announced news of their first ever live dates on “the other side” of the Atlantic, happening Spring 2017. After an appearance at Austin’s annual SXSW fest, for which they were recently announced, the band will be making their way through Europe, taking in nine different countries in the spring of 2017. (Dates below.) Tickets go on sale at 10am Weds 26th October.
Take an existential trip with LVL UP in their latest video for “The Closing Door” right over here.
UK/EU tour dates:
Mar 28th | The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, UK Mar 29th | Think Tank, Newcastle, UK Mar 30th | Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK Mar 31st | Gullivers, Manchester, UK Apr 1st | JT Soar, Nottingham, UK Apr 2nd | Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, UK Apr 3rd | Clwb ifor Bach, Cardiff, UK Apr 4th | Old Blue Last, London, UK Apr 5th | Green Door Store, Brighton, UK Apr 6th | Mechanique Ondulatoire, Paris, FR Apr 8th | Vera, Groningen, NL Apr 11th | Lagerhaus, Bremen, DE Apr 12th | Botanique, Brussels, BE Apr 13th | Molotow, Hamburg, DE Apr 14th | Beta, Copenhagen, DK Apr 15th | Privatclub, Berlin, DE Apr 17th | B72, Vienna, AU Apr 18th | Klub Gromka, Ljubljiana, SI Apr 20th | Gonzo, Zurich, CH Apr 21st | Pont Rouge, Monthey, CH Apr 22nd | Le Sonic, Lyon, FR
