Looks like those Texan riff-wranglers THE SWORD just couldn’t stay retired – they’re stretching their “Warp Riders 15th Anniversary Tour” across even more states. Pro tip: this might be your last shot to hear them play that cosmic 2010 album front-to-back without inventing a time machine.
“This is probably the only chance people will have to see us perform the entire album, so don’t miss out!” says THE SWORD frontman John D. Cronise, who clearly understands FOMO economics.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 11 at 10 a.m. local time via TheSwordOfficial.com. RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL (whose name sounds like a rejected Quentin Tarantino spin-off) will open all shows, with PINK FUZZ joining August 17-October 11 and MOON DESTROYS (astronomy club’s favorite band?) tagging in October 13-26.
For Record Store Day, they dropped a fancy remastered “Warp Riders” vinyl – J. Robbins buffed it up, and the “Sea Of Pyres” edition sold out faster than a UFO sighting in Texas. Fun fact: the original album artwork was inspired by 70s sci-fi paperbacks, because why not?
Back in 2010, critics went full fanboy: the BBC called it “power metal grandeur,” The Quietus said “brilliant” (very British), and Pitchfork weirdly compared it to a Chevy Camaro. All we know is you could air-guitar to this in traffic.
Fresh “Warp Riders” dates – mark your calendars before your metalhead friend yells at you:
September 27 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall
September 28 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
September 29 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theater
October 01 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Lounge
October 03 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
October 05 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
October 06 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
October 07 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Elevation
October 08 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
October 09 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
October 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre
October 13 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
October 14 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
October 15 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
October 17 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
October 18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
October 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
October 22 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
October 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
October 24 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
October 26 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
Repeat after us: these shows were already announced (we’re just being thorough):
August 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
August 18 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
August 19 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
August 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
August 22 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
August 23 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
August 24 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
August 25 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
August 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
August 28 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
August 29 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
August 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Cronise told Revolver about the reunion: “We know each other, we’re comfortable. It’s just kind of like putting on a comfortable pair of sneakers. Levitation was a great show… it went really well.” Meanwhile, guitarist Kyle Shutt admitted: “I can’t tell you what it means to see everyone’s positive reception. It feels so good to see people out there almost more enthusiastic about the band than ever — it’s something we’ll never take for granted.”
THE SWORD is basically a metal Voltron: John D. Cronise (vocals, guitar), Bryan Richie (bass, keyboards), Kyle Shutt (guitar, vocals), and Santiago Vela (drums). Since 2003, they’ve been melting faces with six albums including “Age Of Winters” and “Used Future” – that last one sounds like Elon Musk’s garage sale.
During lockdown, they dropped the “Conquest Of Quarantine” sessions, covering T. REX while probably wearing sweatpants. Their 2020 comps “Chronology” and “Conquest Of Kingdoms” included B-sides, live tracks, and covers ranging from LED ZEPPELIN to KISS – because nothing says “heavy metal” like rehabbing “She” into a doom anthem.
