pitchfork-festival-2015-9

Ryley Walker covers Grouper, Cass McCombs and more, opening the second leg of Deer Tick's acoustic tour

by Andrew Sacher

photo: Ryley Walker at Pitchfork Fest 2015 (more by James Richards IV)
Ryley Walker

Ryley Walker recently recorded a Lagniappe Session for Aquarium Drunkard where he covered four very different tracks. One is an instrumental take on one of the best Grouper songs, “Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping.” Ryley says:

All time greatest tune. Gave it a shot with just guitar. Really a massive fan of Grouper. Lyrics and arrangements are always fascinating. Every record she sets the bar higher. Listened to this song in particular a hundred times.

He also offers renditions of Cass McCombs‘ “Robin Egg Blue,” Tortoise-related Chicago jazz band Isotope 217‘s “Real MC’s” (“One of my most favorite bands ever. Chicago’s greats,” Ryley says), and Amen Dunes‘ “Everybody Is Crazy.” All four are worth hearing, and you can do so at Aquarium Drunkard.

Ryley was also announced as support on the recently-added second leg of Deer Tick‘s upcoming acoustic tour. The first leg is with Mutual Benefit. Neither hits NYC, but the run with MB comes close (Albany, Hartford, etc). Updated dates are listed below.

Deer Tick — 2016 Tour Dates (acoustic unless otherwise noted)
3/2* Nashville, TN City Winery
3/3* Mobile, AL Merry Widow
3/4* Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder (Not “Acoustic”)
3/4-3/6 Okeechobee, FL Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival (Not “Acoustic”)
3/7* Athens, GA Georgia Theater
3/8* Charleston, SC The Pour House
3/9* Charlotte, NC The Neighborhood Theatre
3/10* Washington, DC Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
3/11* York, PA Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center
3/12* Hartford, CT Infinity Hall
3/14* Portland, ME Port City Music Hall
3/15* Portsmouth, NH 3S Artspace
3/16* Boston, MA Somerville Theatre
3/18* Albany, NY Sawyer Theatre at The Egg
3/19* Buffalo, NY Tralf Music Hall
3/20* Morgantown, WV Morgantown Theater
4/1% Birmingham, AL Saturn (Not “Acoustic”)
4/2 New Orleans, LA Hogs for the Cause (Not “Acoustic”)
4/3^ Jackson, MS Duling Hall
4/5^ St. Louis, MO The Duck Room @ Blueberry Hill
4/6^ Iowa City, IA The Mill (Mission Creek Music Festival)
4/7^ Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music
4/8^ Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
4/9^ St. Paul, MN Turf Club
4/11^ Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
4/12^ Aspen, CO Belly Up
4/13^ Santa Fe, NM Meow Wolf
4/15 Driftwood, TX Old Settlers Music Festival
4/16 Grand Prairie, TX Old 97’s County Fair (Not “Acoustic”)

*w/ Mutual Benefit
%w/ JEFF The Brotherhood
^w/ Ryley Walker