Feel like the joke is on us now. In their video for “Wake and Be Fine”, Okkervil River messed with our perceptions as to how many people were really in the band using what can only be described as digital cloning technology. Now, unless there’s some seriously next-level camera tricks going on inside of Letterman’s studio, we see that to recreate the full sound of their latest LP I Am Very Far, Will Sheff actually does need a little help from his friends.

There are those who are wary about Okkervil’s latest effort and miss the stripped-raw sound of their earlier work, but the power of “Rider” with 10 members on stage is hard to deny. Along with an honest recreation of the sound on the record, the band grooves out with E-Street and Danko/Helm vibes all around. Check out the performance and the effusive endorsement from Dave above.

Will Sheff and however-many-others will set out on the road at the end of this month with killer bills featuring Titus Andronicus, Future Islands, Juliana Barwick, and NewVillager. Check out the dates below:

Okervill River 2011 Tour Dates:
05/31 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *#
06/01 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *#
06/02 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *#
06/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre *#
06/04 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place *#
06/07 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 #
06/08 – Boston, MA @ Royale *#
06/09 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom *#
06/10 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theatre *#
06/11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall *#
06/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *#
06/14 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown *
06/15 – Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater *
06/16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
06/17 – Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre *
06/18 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre *
06/20 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theatre *&
06/21 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *&
06/22 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fox Theater *&
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *$
06/24 – San Diego, CA @ The Belly Up Tavern *$
06/25 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre *$
06/27 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
06/28 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s *
07/03 – Des Moines, IA @ 80/35

* = w/ Titus Andronicus
# = w/ Future Islands
& = w/ Julianna Barwick
$ = w/ NewVillager