Tortoise Begin Two-Month Concert Crawl
Chicago-based instrumental rockers Tortoise have announced the dates for their spring
North American tour, a trek that will see them playing their unique blend of jazz,
dub and rock in college towns and big cities from coast to coast. This will be the
sextet's first tour since the March 10 release of its critically acclaimed third
album, TNT.
The lineup for the tour will include multi-instrumentalist Jeff Parker of the
Chicago Underground Orchestra and the New Horizons Ensemble, bassists
Douglas McCombs and Dave Pajo, drummer/vibes player John Herndon and
drummers/keyboardists Dan Bitney and John McEntire. To achieve the multi-
layered, multi-genre sound found on such TNT tracks as "Ten-Day
HREF="http://www.addict.com/music/Tortoise/The_Suspension_Bridge_At_Igua
nzu_Falls.ram">"The Suspension Bridge At Iguanzu Falls" (Real Audio
excerpt), the band will be stuffing the U-Haul with two drum kits, a vibraphone,
a marimba, a farfisa, four- and six-string basses, guitars, a lap-steel guitar and
analog synthesizers.
As a direct contrast to the Tortoise sound, minimalist music-maker Markus
"Oval" Popp will be opening up for the first half of the tour on his first concert trip
through the U.S. Popp will be using a computer to make different songs every
night, with his screen projected behind him so the audience can watch him
manipulate sound with customized software programs.
The opening act on the second half of the tour will be Isotope 217, a side project
from Parker that melds jazz and funk.
Tortoise Tour Dates, With Oval:
Apr. 30; Bloomington, Ill., Second Story
May 1; Detroit, Mich., St. Andrews
May 2; Toronto, Ont., Lee's Palace
May 3; Toronto, Ont., Lee's Palace
May 4; Montreal, Que., Cabaret Music Hall
May 5; Providence, R.I., Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
May 6; Cambridge, Mass., Middle East
May 7; New York, N.Y., Tramp's
May 8; Annendale, N.Y., Bard College
May 9; Philadelphia, Pa., Theatre of Living Arts
May 10; Washington, D.C., 9:30 Club
May 11; Carrboro, N.C., Cat's Cradle
May 12; Atlanta, Ga., Cotton Club
May 13; Athens, Ga., 40 Watt Club
May 14; Orlando, Fla., Sapphire Supper Club
May 15; Tallahassee, Fla., Cowhaus
May 16; New Orleans, La., Howlin' Wolf
May 17; Houston, Texas, Fitzgerald's
May 18; Austin, Texas, Electric Lounge
May 19; Dallas, Texas, Trees
May 20; Memphis, Tenn., New Daisy Theatre
May 21; Louisville, Ky., Toy Tiger
May 22; Newport, Ky., Southgate House Ballroom
Tortoise Tour Dates, With Isotope 217:
May 26; St. Louis, Mo., Galaxy Room
May 27; Lawrence, Kan., Granada Theater
May 28; Denver, Colo., Ogden Theater
May 30; Salt Lake City, Utah, University Theater
Jun. 1; San Diego, Calif., To Be Announced
Jun. 2; Los Angeles, Calif., The Roxy
Jun. 3; Los Angeles, Calif., The Roxy
Jun. 4; San Francisco, Calif., Great American Music Hall
Jun. 5; San Francisco, Calif., Great American Music Hall
Jun. 6; Portland, Ore., Zoot Suite
Jun. 7; Vancouver, B.C., To Be Announced
Jun. 8; Seattle, Wash., Showbox Theater
Jun. 12; Minneapolis, Minn., First Avenue
Jun. 13; Chicago, Ill., The Metro
Jun. 14; Chicago, Ill., The Metro