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Damien Jurado & John Vanderslice on tour, in NYC now

Damien Jurado @ a BV Day Party @ SXSW (more by Amanda Hatfield)
Damien

“For the most part, 95 percent of my songs are fictitious,” says Jurado.

But he does conceive his material much the way a novelist would, with dialogue, towns, characters. Many of his tracks are named after places — “Arkansas,” “Kansas City” and “Wallingford” (a Seattle neighborhood) on Saint Bartlett.

“I just need a setting, a place to put the story,” he says. “I do not write short stories, but I do write short stories. The short stories are the song.”

Repeated listenings to the record reveal recurring, somewhat submerged themes: characters are stuck outside their homes, looking in, trying to find their way back, or a safe place to sleep; lights left on serve as both a sign of safety or welcome and as a visual reminder of being physically removed from the business of life.

The recordings are open and sparse, but there are loads of little details — a handclap, a mellotron part, half-hidden harmony vocals — which reward focused attention.

“I’m really into space,” says Jurado. “That’s what jazz does, it’s full of clutter, but at the same time it’s full of lots of space. The clutter creates space. You’re pushing more space to be created.” [Hartford Advocate]

Here’s a reminder that the Damien Jurado / John Vanderslice tour rolls in to NYC tonight, 5/12, for shows at Mercury Lounge and then the Rock Shop (both still on sale). An updated set of tour dates is below…


Damien Jurado — 2011 Tour Dates
05/12/11 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge *
05/13/11 Brooklyn, NY – The Rock Shop *
05/15/11 Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall *
05/16/11 Milford, CT – Daniel Street Club *
05/17/11 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
05/18/11 Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage *
05/20/11 Nashville, TN – The Basement *
05/22/11 Columbus, OH – The Treehouse
05/23/11 Newport, KY – Southgate House Parlour
05/24/11 Toledo, OH – Frankies
05/26/11 Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Festival
05/28/11 Ft. Collins, CO – Everyday Joe’s w/ You Me & Apollo
05/29/11 Colorado Springs, CO – Meadow Grass Music Festival
* w/ John Vanderslice


John Vanderslice — 2011 Tour Dates
05/12/11 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge +
05/13/11 Brooklyn, NY – The Rock Shop +
05/15/11 Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall +
05/16/11 Milford, CT – Daniel Street Club +
05/17/11 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s +
05/18/11 Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage +
05/20/11 Nashville, TN – The Basement +
05/22/11 Norman, OK – The Opolis w/ Sherree Chamberlain
05/23/11 Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf w/ Daniel Hart
05/24/11 Austin, TX – The Mohawk w/ Daniel Hart
05/26/11 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room w/ The Whisperlights
05/27/11 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress w/ Leslie Stevens & The Badgers
05/28/11 San Diego, CA – Casbah w/ Leslie Stevens & The Badgers
06/17/11 San Francisco, CA – Herbst Theatre
09/09/11 Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Music Festival – Berkley Cafe
+ w/ Damien Jurado