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James Blackshaw - 2009 Tour Dates (3 NYC shows including one w/ MARISSA NADLER)

DOWNLOAD: Marissa Nadler – River of Dirt (MP3)

Marissa Nadler

With a new touring band, a refurbished banjo and some personal clarity (“I just cut this person out of my life who I’ve been writing about for four records,” [Marissa] Nadler said), she sounded extremely pleased talking amid rehearsals for the new tour [with the Handsome Family Band].

“I’m psyched about it because I’ve just spent too much time alone in hotel rooms for the past five years of my life,” she said. “And people will be like, ‘Well, God, write a happy f—ing song.’ And I’m like, well, why would you be happy if you’ve been stuck your entire 20s in a hotel room by yourself?

“That’s kind of like my sense of humor, I guess. Maybe I’ll start writing pop songs once I fall in love and get happy and rich, I don’t know,” she added. “Kidding, kidding.” [University of Maryland’s Diamondback 4/22/09]

The Handsome Family Band tour’s April 25th stop at the Highline Ballroom was Nadler’s most recent show in NYC.

James BlackshawThe singer/songwriter has a European tour planned for May. When she returns, she’ll play the Mercury Lounge in NYC on Tuesday, June 9th with James Blackshaw. Tickets are on sale.

UK guitarist Blackshaw is signed to Michael Gira‘s Young God Records, which will release his seventh studio record sometime this year.

“James has received a lot of attention lately as a prodigy/virtuoso of the 12 string guitar. He used to be in punk bands in England, but then he started listening to people like John Fahey, Robbie Basho etc, and I assume soon locked himself in a room for 12 hours a day for several years and just played constantly. It takes intense discipline and a religious commitment to get to the place where he’s at with his instrument. But his music isn’t about his “skill” – it’s not showy. It’s deeply meditative – the secret language of a pre-thought, pre-dream place. He plays soulful and kaleidoscopic ever-shifting mantra cycles of, in my view, incredible beauty.” [Altsounds]

In addition to the Nadler show, Blackshaw will be touring North America. NYC shows include the Issue Project Room on Monday, June 8th and Fortune Cookie Basement at Lucky Cheng’s on Friday, June 19th with Chris Weisman & Greg Davis. Lucky Cheng’s?

An MP3 from Nadler’s latest, Little Hells, out now on Kemado Records, is posted above (again).

All tour dates below…

Marissa Nadler – 2009 Tour Dates
May 12 Bad Bonn Dudingen
May 14 Init – Rome – w/ Josephine Foster! Rome
May 15 Casa 139 Milano, Milano
May 16 Spazio 211 Torino, Torino
May 18 Secret Place Montpellier
May 19 Sonic Lyon
May 20 Le Romandie Zurich, Zurich
May 22 Admiralspalast 101 Berlin, Berlin
May 23 Studio 672 Koln
May 24 Brotfabrik Frankfurt
May 25 KAMPNAGEL Hamburg, Hamburg
May 26 Loppen Copenhagen
May 28 Revolver + Jamie Stewart Oslo, Oslo
May 29 Siesta Festival assleholm
May 30 Orange Blossom Festival – Beverungen Beverungen
Jun 01 Paradiso Amsterdam
Jun 02 Ekko Utrecht
Jun 03 Botanique Brussels
Jun 09 Mercury Lounge New York $
Aug 09 Festival du Chant de Marin Paimpol, Bretagne
Aug 16 Philadelphia Folk Festival Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
# with the Great Lake Swimmers
$ with James Blackshaw

James Blackshaw – 2009 Tour Dates
May 16 Salón Teatro [special guest of C93] Santiago
Jun 08 Issue Project Room Brooklyn
Jun 09 Mercury Lounge New York
Jun 10 Burlington, VT Venue TBA
Jun 11 La Sala Montreal @
Jun 12 Drake Hotel Toronto @
Jun 13 Drake Hotel Toronto @
Jun 14 Detroit Venue TBA
Jun 15 The Hideout Chicago #
Jun 16 Wexner Center Columbus #
Jun 17 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh #
Jun 19 Fortune Cookie Basement at Lucky Cheungs New York #
Jun 20 Easthampton, MA Venue TBA #
Jul 24 Circulo de Bellas Artes Madrid $
Jul 25 Jazz Cava Vic
Aug 01 Hedgefest Manchester
@ with MICHAEL GIRA + GREG DAVIS, CHRIS WEISMAN
# with GREG DAVIS, CHRIS WEISMAN
$ with SIMON FINN