Portugal. The Man announce tour! Unfortunately, a deal with the devil is forcing them to open for Primus
By Kid Midnight on Sep 15 2010
Portugal. The Man, who are currently on a massive European tour, recently signed a contract in blood that will provide the band fame and recognition far exceeding what they’ve already amassed but in greater quantities than vocalist and guitarist John Gourley could ever imagine.
“We just felt it was time to reach the big top,” Gourley (I think it was him) informed me in a phone interview. “So we got on the phone with our publicist and she said we could work out a great bargain with Lucifer as long as we were willing to make a deal. We discussed it as a band and we collectively decided that we would all be willing to put up with whatever the devil threw at us, as long as we eventually became the biggest band in the US.”
Unfortunately, what Beelzebub threw at the band just happened to be a round of gigs opening for Primus. At first, Portugal. The Man felt honored to play with the long-lasting, fan-favorite “alternative” band that first saw fame in the 90s, but once Gourley and crew took time to reexamine Primus’ catalog of music, they rediscovered that Primus is a piece of shit.
“They suck, they suck hard, and it’s gonna suck to be forced to play 11 shows with them, but what else can you do when you make a deal with the devil?” asked bassist Zachary Carothers, before taking Rhinoplasty out of his CD player and punching it repeatedly.
The gigs opening for Primus start on September 20 and will be a part of the “Oddity Faire 2010,” wherein Primus will assemble bands and oddities that forcefully convince festival-goers that the once-“weird” band is still “weird.” Once the Faire reaches its conclusion, Portugal. The Man will stay on the road for a headlining tour of North America.
In other news, Portugal. The Man are currently at work on their upcoming, untitled debut release for Approaching AIRballoons/Atlantic Records. The LP is scheduled for release in early 2011.
Portugal. The Man tourdates:
09.20.10 - Eagle, ID - Eagle Park Pavilion
09.21.10 - Central Point, OR - Lithia Motors Amphitheater
09.22.10 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
09.24.10 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater @ Qwest Field Events Center
09.25.10 - Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
09.27.10 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
09.28.10 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Ballroom @ University of Calgary
10.30.10 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
10.01.10 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
10.02.10 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theatre
10.03.10 - Detroit, M - Fillmore Detroit
10.05.10 - Urbana, IL - The Canopy Club
10.06.10 - Columbia, MO - Forrest Rose Park @ Mojo’s
10.07.10 - Fayetteville, AR - George’s Majestic Lounge
10.08.10 - Fort Worth, TX - Aardvark
10.10.10 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival @ Zilker Park
10.11.10 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald’s
10.12.10 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
10.14.10 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Soundstage
10.15.10 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
10.16.10 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
10.17.10 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
10.20.10 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
10.21.10 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
10.22.10 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
10.23.10 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
10.28.10 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
10.29.10 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10.30.10 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater
• Portugal. The Man: http://portugaltheman.com
• Approaching AIRballoons: http://myspace.com/theapproachingairballoons
Didn’t quite finish your summer reading list? Make up for it by seeing The Books on their expanded fall tour!
By Kid Midnight on Sep 15 2010
Summer, as we know, is a time for beers, BBQs, and bikinis, and because of this, well, a lot of reading doesn’t get done. Unless you’re that nerdy kid who not only read a bajillion books, but also did book reports ( in which case, I’d like to reiterate how much of a nerd you are). Because most people don’t do nearly as much reading as they would like (I myself only got through half of what I wanted to read), those same people can step into autumn and feel kinda dumb, which is why they invented school: to make up for the fact that no one spends time learning when they could be driving down the beach on an ATV.
An easy cure for this feeling of stupidity is, of course, to go to school, but an easier way is to just go see The Books on their (expanded) fall tour. Our last story about this tour (before the expansion of dates) described the band as “glitchy-yet-pastoral sample-masters,” as evidenced by their recent album on Temporary Residence, The Way Out (TMT Review), so I feel totally safe recommending the show as a reasonable replacement for book reading or getting a college degree, because, really, who needs a college degree? All that bullshit about earning more is just bullshit.
Or is it?
The Books expanded tourdates:
09.23.10 - Durham, NH - University of New Hamsphire
09.29.10 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
09.30.10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10.01.10 - Durham, NC - Shaefer Theater
10.02.10 - Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre
10.03.10 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10.04.10 - Knoxville, TN - Square Room
10.05.10 - Charlotesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre
10.06.10 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
10.21.10 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
10.22.10 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Nightclub
10.23.10 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret Mile End
10.24.10 - Ottawa, ON - Capital Music Hall
10.25.10 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
10.26.10 - Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom
10.27.10 - Grand Rapids, MI - Ladies Literary Club
10.29.10 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
10.30.10 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Culture Center
10.31.10 - Grinnell, IA - Herrick Chapel
11.02.10 - St Louis, MO - The Old Rock House
11.03.10 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
11.13.10 - New York, NY - Zankel at Carnegie Hall
11.29.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Music Box at The Henry Fonda Theatre
11.30.10 - San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts
12.03.10 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
12.04.10 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
12.05.10 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
• The Books: http://www.thebooksmusic.com
• Temporary Residence Limited: http://temporaryresidence.com
Summer forecast for Neil Hamburger: chance of laughs
By Aaron Norman on Sep 14 2010
What do you get when you cross The Jerky Boys, Tony Clifton, and a “punk-rock” musician? A very polarizing character, that’s for sure! America’s funnyman Neil Hamburger practices a different brand of stand-up comedy. For the uninitiated, Mr. Hamburger may appear crass — as some of his signatures include: holding several cocktails with one arm, clearing his throat directly into the mic, and constantly berating the audience. No matter whether you love it, hate it, or don’t get it, if you miss out on one of Neil’s upcoming North American dates, the joke’s on you.
Also Neil’s 2007 (tour-only) album Hot February Night has been reissued on Drag City. You can check it out here and then read our review here.
Neil’s dates:
09.17.10 - Chicago, IL - Viaduct Theater
09.18.10 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
09.19.10 - St Paul, MN - Turf Club
09.20.10 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
09.21.10 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
09.22.10 - Sioux Falls, SD - Nutty’s North
09.23.10 - Iowa City, IA - The Mill
09.24.10 - Vancouver, BC, CAN - Global Comedy Fest
09.25.10 - Vancouver, BC, CAN - Global Comedy Fest
09.26.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
10.16.10 - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room
• Neil Hamburger: http://neilhamburger.tvheaven.com
• Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com
This Is Happening: LCD Soundsystem US tour
By Aaron Norman on Sep 14 2010
James Murphy, the producer behind LCD Soundsystem, is currently touring in Europe, but starting in September he’s making his way to the states. His latest album This Is Happening (TMT Review) was critically acclaimed, as were the two albums proceeding it — enough said.
LCD Soundsystem dates:
09.24.10 - Philadelphia, PA - The Philadelphia Cruise Terminal %
09.25.10 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion (Virgin FreeFest)
09.27.10 - Burlington, VT- Memorial Auditorium %
09.28.10 - Boston, MA - Orpheum %
10.01.10 - Clinton, NY - Hamilton College %
10.04.10 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle %
10.05.10 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock %
10.06.10 - Miami, FL - Fillmore %
10.08.10 - Houston, TX - Verizon Amphitheater %
10.09.10 - Austin, TX - City Limits Festival
10.13.10 - San Diego, CA - RIMAC Arena $
10.15.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl %$
10.16.10 - San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island
10.19.10 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex $
10.20.10 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium $
10.22.10 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom $
10.23.10 - Saint Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins $
% Sleigh Bells
$ Hot Chip
• LCD Soundsystem: http://lcdsoundsystem.com/main
