In an effort to help his North American fans finally stop picturing Ezra Koenig singing his songs, Rostam “Solo Artist 4 Life” Batmanglij — also known less imaginatively as “Rostam” — has announced that he’ll be providing the ULTIMATE visual aid to his newly-ish released first solo album Half-Light by hitting the road for his first-ever solo tour of North America.
…And by “tour of North America,” I guess I mean that he’s also touring the rest of the world (again, to be clear: S-O-L-O) for the remainder of 2017 first (find those dates down below, too). But starting January 29, 2018 in Atlanta? Shit. You bet your ass that he’ll be “continuing through February with stops in Nashville, Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, and concluding in Los Angeles.” Doesn’t really git more North American than that, now, does it?
(BTW, tix to all the 2018 shows are available this Friday, October 20, with “special pre-order offers” extended to “those following Rostam on Spotify” starting TODAY.)
…And by “solo,” I guess I more mean “with a bunch of other musicians and visuals” also probably on the stage. You see, “if you’ve never seen me perform, it’s always with strings — usually a string quartet —, live percussion, and video projections,” Rostam says. “I’m so psyched to see you out there on the road in January, February, and throughout 2018.”
I know. It’s sorta confusing. But for a handy sneak peak into the whole “solo but not solo since I’m on stage with more people than ever” configuration to come, you can watch Rostam’s live rendition of several tracks from Half-Light on Seattle’s KEXP down below. You should be all-good then, right?
Rostam on tour, 2017-version:
10.19.17 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre (supporting Haim) [SOLD OUT]
10.28.17 - San Pedro, CA - Growler’s Six
11.01.17 - Paris, FR - Pitchfork Avant Garde Festival
11.03.17 - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany - Rolling Stone Weekender
11.05.17 - Berlin, Germany - Musik & Frieden
11.06.17 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
11.08.17 - Oslo, Norway - BLå
11.09.17 - Sweden - Bar Brooklyn
11.11.17 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg (Small Room)
11.14.17 - London, UK - The Courtyard Theatre [SOLD OUT]
Rostam on tour, 2018-version:
01.29.18 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
01.30.18 - Nashville, TN - Third Man Records
02.01.18 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall
02.02.18 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church (Sanctuary)
02.05.18 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
02.06.18 - Toronto, ON - The Drake
02.08.18 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Warhol Theater at The Andy Warhol Museum
02.09.18 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Ladies Literary Club
02.10.18 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
02.12.18 - Milwaukee, WI - The Back Room at Colectivo
02.13.18 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
02.14.18 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
02.16.18 - Denver, CO - Globe Hall
02.17.18 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
02.19.18 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
02.20.18 - Vancouver, BC - Venue
02.21.18 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
02.24.18 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
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