After 15 years of crafting apocalyptic soundscapes that could level small cities, SWANS are pulling the plug on their current mega-loud incarnation. Michael Gira’s cult-favorite noise orchestra (fun fact: bring earplugs – their shows are legendary for melting faces and eardrums) drops this bombshell with two final tour blitzes in North America and Europe this fall. Stateside shows get cabaret-punk oddballs LITTLE ANNIE & PAUL WALLFISCH (ever heard a lounge singer cover Swans? Now’s your chance), while Euro dates feature violinist JESSICA MOSS – because what’s a apocalyptic sound journey without some post-rock violin weeping?
In a message that’s equal parts heartfelt and “we’re not kidding around,” MICHAEL GIRA straight-up declared:
“This is to let you know that there will be zero additional shows/tours added to the 2 SWANS tours listed below. This is the final tour, the last chance to experience this expansive sound and ensemble. The players: KRISTOF HAHN, NORMAN WESTBERG, DANA SCHECTER, PHIL PULEO, LARRY MULLINS, CHRISTOPHER PRAVDICA, MICHAEL GIRA.
“This marks about 15 years of this phase of SWANS. It’s been wonderful to be inside such an overwhelming, total sonic experience, but it’s time to end it. Following these 2 tours SWANS will continue in a much different, stripped down version. I’m not exactly sure what form the music will take, but I’m excited to find out. In the meantime, we will give everything to these final shows listed below. It’s been quite a ride. Thank you for your interest in and support of the music along the way!”
Translation: Prepare for an aural battering ram. They’re dragging out everything from recent gut-punch album The Beggar to early material that probably still haunts former band members’ nightmares. (Psst – Gira used to work construction pre-SWANS. Dude literally built his trauma-anthems from the ground up.) Tickets here, survival gear not included.
SWANS + LITTLE ANNIE & PAUL WALLFISCH
9/4 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
9/5 Washington, DC Howard Theatre
9/6 Norfolk, VA Norva Theater
9/9 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
9/10 Austin, TX Mohawk Austin
9/12 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
9/13 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theater
9/15 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
9/16 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
9/17 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
9/20 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
9/21 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
9/23 Seattle, WA The Neptune
9/24 Portland, OR Revolution Hall
9/27 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
9/28 Omaha, NE Waiting Room Showroom
9/30 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro
10/1 Detroit, MI Magic Bag
10/3 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theater
10/4 Montreal, QC Theatre National
10/6 Boston, MA Paradise Club
10/7 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Steel
SWANS & JESSICA MOSS
10/23 Leipzig, DE Haus Leipzig
10/24 Neunkirchen, DE Neue Gebläsehalle
10/25 Munich, DE Tecknikum
10/28 Prague, CZ Archa
10/29 Graz, AT Halle Detroit
10/31 Ljubljana, SI Kino Siska
11/1 Zagreb, HR Lauba
11/3 Ferrara, IT Teatro Comunale
11/4 Milan, IT Auditorium de Milano
11/6 Paris, FR Trabendo
11/7 Leeds, UK Project House
11/9 London, UK Electric Brixton (Sold Out)
11/10 London, UK Electric Brixton
11/11 London, UK Electric Brixton
11/14 Leiden, NL Nobel
11/15 Nijmegen, NL Doornroosje
11/17 Copenhagen, DK Vega Store
11/19 Oslo, NO Vulkan Arena
11/20 Stockholm, SE Slaktkyrkan
11/22 Tallinn, EE Paavli Kultuurivabrik
11/24 Vilnius, LT Kablys
11/25 Warsaw, PL Stodola
11/27 Berlin, DE Festsaal Kreuzberg
11/28 Berlin, DE Festsaal Kreuzberg
