The month long endeavor will kick off with an appearance at South by Southwest, where the Spoon will, well, kick off the Austin based festival’s festivities at Stubb’s on March 17th. In the days that follow, the band will head east for a series of dates, highlighted by their first ever headlining performance at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. After that, they’ll circle back west, stopping in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver along the way, before ultimately concluding their travels on April 13th in Oakland, California. But being another one of those bands with a Los Angeles tour date noticeably missing from its itinerary, it’s safe to assume Spoon will continue on to the Coachella Music Festival, set to take place from April 16-18 in Indio, CA.

Deerhunter will be providing direct support on all dates, while Royal Oak, The Strange Boys, and Micachu & the Shapes will be appearing on select dates.

Tickets will be available beginning Friday, January 15th via Ticketmaster.com.

Transference is set for release on January 19th via Merge.

Spoon 2010 Tour Dates:
03/17 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs (SXSW)
03/18 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic *#
03/19 – Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Soundstage *#
03/20 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *#
03/22 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *#
03/23 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *#
03/24 – Richmond, VA @ The National *#
03/26 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall *#
03/27 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues *#
03/29 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy *#
03/30 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre *#
04/01 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom *^
04/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *^
04/03 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *^
04/05 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre *^
04/06 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre *^
04/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue *^
04/09 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre *^
04/10 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre *^
04/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre *^
04/13 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *^

* = w/ Deerhunter
# = w/ Royal Oak w/ The Strange Boys
^ = w/ Micachu & the Shapes

Friday night’s homecoming concert at the London Palladium was simply outstanding. Wolf’s talent has always been prodigious, but the auditorium had an unmistakable air of “happening” — it was pitched as an unmissable, one-off performance, and lived up to expectations. Patrick Wolf finally had a backing worthy of his talent, expanding his touring band to include a four piece choir, full string section, and electronics setup. Oh, and collaborations beyond our wildest dreams.

Support Micachu & The Shapes were left with a difficult task. Their music relies on samples, drum machines, and a familiar audience, but they simply lacked the musicality to make an impression in the huge classical venue. As their set wore on, the reception became colder and colder until you could hear audible groans as songs like “Debris” started up. It’s a shame as in a smaller venue they may have had shared some of the spotlight, but people were there for one reason only.

That reason didn’t keep us waiting. This was a professional operation, calling into question an extremely complex stage setup, orchestral, and electric instruments, multiple performers, a magnetic front man and an unpredictable crowd. Everything ran to plan; the support left the stage, equipment was quickly re-arranged, the safety curtain came down and the wait began. As people took their seats, an intro speech from Wolf, “Divine Intervention”, was broadcast to the audience.

The curtain lifted up as he stepped forth, dressed in black, opening with “Overture”, the traditional opener that has long been crying out for orchestral treatment. It was the first in a long list of tracks that finally found their home on stage, and it was breathtaking to see the songs “as they were meant to be performed.”

The setlist was essentially an expanded version of his current tour version; the majority of The Bachelor was included, barring “Kriespiel”, “Blackdown”, and “The Messenger”, but he added in some live rarities at the expensive of a few fan favourites (“Bloodbeat”, “Teignmouth”, and “Augustine” were all sadly missed). And yet, with a set that lasted over two hours, this is as definitive as it gets.

As is usual, the show jumped between styles. Whilst the opening tracks saw Wolf playing ukulele, he flitted between piano, violin, and a variety of other instruments throughout the show, ever the dynamic frontman. There were moments of unkempt rage, the singer screaming down the microphone and stumbling around stage, only to be followed by silence and reflection. As the ominous “Oblivion” kicked off, the Voice of Hope (actress Gwendoline Christie) stepped on stage in full get-up: “This is the Voice of Hope.” “Hello,” she uttered, in her sexiest voice. “Thickets” was realized in all its glory, the string section going to work on the impressive arrangement.

There were many magical moments, but one stood out. As Florence Welch (of Florence & The Machine) stepped on stage to join Wolf for “The Bachelor”, the crowd erupted in cheers. Their moving performance of the ragtime duet was worthy of such a reception, Welch the perfect vocal foil. Standing with each other, the striking similarities between the two suddenly come into focus, sharing the pale skin, striking hair, and incredible talent.

As Florence left the stage, the gig took another creative direction, with Alec Empire’s setup was wheeled out on stage. One of the founding members of Atari Teenage Riot, Empire has now gone solo and produced a variety of hardcore techno backing for Wolf’s heavier tracks.

Spinning around the stage during “Count Of Casualty”, there was a real sense of joy hidden beneath the crashing beats. Wolf was close to tears at one point, sharing his huge thanks for this opportunity, and explaining that this was a “dream come true.” The cheers broke out again, and the show went on. “Hard Times” was a real turning point, as he commanded us to show a little gusto. The crowd promptly responded, with girls flying out of their seats to dance in the aisles, on their chairs, anywhere they could find space. I have never seen a classical venue so promptly ignored. It might as well have been a mosh pit.

“Damaris” saw the video recreated on stage, with Christie pulling the singer close for a clinch. The next few songs retreated further into his past, before a triumphant rendition of “The Magic Position” brought the main set to a close. The band stayed firmly in position, whilst Patrick left the stage. A partition sheet dropped down, and Patrick’s vocals struck up again, this time singing the introduction to “The Sun Is Often Out”. His voice has the ability to move, most pertinent on this, an ode to two friends — Richard and Stephen — who took their own lives.

The show closed with “Vulture”, Empire once again providing the staccato drum line. It’s an edgy song, speaking of Wolf’s seven day journey into Satanic sex acts whilst in California, but the lyrics ceased to mean anything as the singer emerged. Rotating around on a silver podium, Wolf pulled poses, danced, and ultimately gave an incredible encore performance.

This was, however, a team effort. He made sure each member had their moment in the spotlight before the curtain fell. Once again, Patrick Wolf proved himself to be a consummate performer. At home under the lights, he delivered one of the best shows I have ever witnessed. I feel blessed to be a part of something so momentous.

Patrick Wolf Setlist
Divine Intervention
Overture
Wolf Song
Wind In The Wires
Oblivion (ft. Gwendoline Christie)
Paris
Theseus (ft. Gwendoline Christie)
Who Will?
The Shadowsea
Bluebells
Pigeon Song
Thickets
The Bachelor (featuring Florence Welch)
Epilogue
Noise
Count Of Casualty (featuring Alec Empire)
Battle (featuring Alec Empire)
Hard Times (featuring Alec Empire)
Damaris (featuring
The Libertine
Tristan
Eulogy
Magic Position

Encore:
The Sun Is Often Out
Vulture

——

The band first hit the scene with 2007′s With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings. Now they’re back with the a new EP entitled New Soft Shoe that reflects the growth spurt of a band who has seen some things. Whether it’s touring with White Rabbits and Tapes n’ Tapes or jamming through SXSW, the band’s sound has morphed into a four headed beast who pulls from a collective pool of interests and works to create a sound that emphasizes four unique yet wholly similar voices.

While the new EP has songs that stylistically draw from a group like Animal Collective, the band worked to make a more varied sound. Whether it’s the goliath of old church organs, the rhythm of honky-tonk strings and piano or even Iwanusa’s mom on the sax, the album brings together the structuring of some classical work (Sheinkopf was classically trained in harmony) with eccentric pop work that is light and fresh with just enough thud and kick to it.

The band kicks off a U.S. tour in late September with Bad Veins, The Soft Pack, Chairlift, Heartless Bastards and Micachu and the Shapes. New Soft Shoe is available come October.

The Subjects 2009 Tour Dates:
09/26 – Cincinnati, OH @ MPMF Festival $
10/03 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Upstairs*
10/05 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe #
10/06 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop #
10/07 – Detroit, MI @ Lager House #
10/08 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle #
10/09 – Lincoln, NE @ TBA #
10/10 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive #
10/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court #
10/13 – Boise, ID @ Reef #
10/14 – Seattle, WA @ High Dive #
10/15 – Portland, OR @ Rotture #
10/16 – Eugene, OR @ Sam Bond’s Garage #
10/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Luigis #
10/19 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar #
10/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ TBA #
10/21 – Tucson, AZ @ TBA #
10/23 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Jr. – #
10/25 – St. Louis, MO @ Cicero’s #
10/27 – Cleveland, OH @ The Cambridge Room @ HOB #
10/28 – Washington, DC @ DC Nine #
10/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie #
10/31 – New York, NY @ Santo’s Party House

$ = w/ Chairlift, Micachu and the Shapes, Heartless Bastards
* = w/ The Soft Pack
# = w/ Bad Veins

Chairlift 2009 Tour Dates:
07/21 – London, UK @ Dalton Superstore
07/26 – Cambridgeshire, UK @ Secret Garden Party
08/01 – Jersey City, NJ @ All Points West
08/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Show
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ Double Door
08/08 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/08 – Chicago, IL @ Chopin Theater
08/13 – Oslo, NO @ Oya Festival
08/14 – Goteborg, SE @ Way Out West Festival
08/16 – Leicester, UK @ Summer Sundae Weekender
09/05 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom #
09/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church #
09/07 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat #
09/08 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 #
09/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn #
09/10 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelseas #
09/11 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s #
09/12 – Denton, TX @ Hailey’s #
09/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room #
09/15 – La Jolla, CA @ The Loft #
09/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubador #
09/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill #
09/18 – Portland, OR @ Holocene #
09/19 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project #
09/22 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ Riveria Theatre *
09/24 – Madison, WI @ UW Madison Memorial Terrace #
09/25 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern #
09/26 – Cincinnati, OH @ MidPoint Music Festival #
09/27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
09/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory *
09/30 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
10/01 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitinas *
10/13 – Montpellier, FR @ Le Rockstore *
10/14 – Lyon, FR @ Le Transbordeur *
10/15 – Stassbourg, FR @ La Laiterie *
10/16 – Lille, FR @ L’Aronef *
10/17 – Caen, FR @ L’Cargo *
10/19 – Paris, FR @ Zenith *
10/20 – Bourdoux, FR @ Rock School Barbey *
10/21 – Touloues, FR @ Le Bekini *
10/22 – Nantes, FR @ L’Olympic *
10/24 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy 2 *
10/25 – Glasgow, UK @ Arches *
10/26 – Bristol, UK @ Academy *
10/27 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2 *
10/28 – London, UK @ Brixton Academy *

# = w/ Michachu & The Shapes
* = w/ Phoenix

Last year, the zany Londoners caught us off guard with their crazy stage antics, involving some spilled BBQ sauce, numerous nose dives and many frightfully distinct outfits, so who knows what Micachu & The Shapes have in store for us this year! However, between their wacky punk-pop, all or nothing attitudes and kick ass personalities it’ll surely be something worth seeing. That is of course, as long as you’ve got a change of clothes handy! So, get out there and catch these wild monkeys before they seek vengeance upon us all. And don’t be shy; they won’t bite you too hard.

Micachu & The Shapes 2009 Tour Dates:
07/13 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
07/14 – Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
07/15 – Montreal, QC @ Ill Motore
07/16 – Boston MA @ Great Scott
07/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe
07/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Siren Music Festival
07/21 – Los Angeles CA @ Echo
07/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Shop
07/23 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
07/24 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block
07/26 – Dorset, UK @ Camp Bestival
08/01 – London, UK @ Field Day Festival
08/02 – Standon, UK @ Standon Calling Festival
08/07 – Myslowice, PL @ Off Festival
08/08 – Berlin, DE @ Berlin Festival
08/16 – Leicester, UK @ Summer Sundae
09/03 – Aarhus, DK @ Aarhus Festival
09/06 – Dublin, IE @ Electric Picnic
09/12 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Bestival
10/15 – London, UK @ The Scala