Formed in 1982 and born out of New York City’s fascinating no wave scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s, genre-bending, experimental outfit Swans originated with and have consistently been helmed by singer and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. Renowned in their early days for their noisy, industrial, intense and abrasive sound and nihilistic and misanthropic lyrics, and well as their loud, unpredictable, and confrontational live shows, Swans’ sound has always been a nebulous, constantly evolving thing, which began to take a softer, more dynamic aesthetic and explore broader genre influences following the addition of vocalist Jarboe in the mid-80s. Always cognizant of their own reputation and perception, Gira took Swans in a less intense direction throughout much of the ’90s, exploring more acoustic and pop-geared influences, though still with bleak and dark themes, and, by 1997, felt that the project had run its course, disbanding Swans following the release of tenth album Soundtracks for the Blind.
For a number of years, Swans’ return seemed unlikely, with Gira staying active with his subsequent project Angels of Light and running his independent record label Young God Records, through which he’s released all of his work since 1990. However, in something of a surprise move, Swans reformed in 2010, with a new lineup of Gira, Norman Westberg, Kristof Hahn, Phil Puleo, Christopher Pravdica, and Thor Harris, and proceeded to find something of a second wind, embraced by a new generation of fans as the group’s legacy and influence had been reexamined in their absence, and heralded by critics for a new string of records, marking a shift towards a droning, artist, experimental post-rock sound, and featuring some of the strongest material of the band’s career, particularly 2012’s The Seer and 2014’s To Be Kind, which both appeared on countless year-end lists. Following several years and four LPs of lineup stability- a rarity for Swans- Gira opted to disband the group in their current form in 2018, returning after a brief hiatus with news that Swans would exist as a revolving, disparate lineup of backing performers and collaborators for albums and tours going forward, releasing two new LPs- 2019’s Leaving Meaning and this year’s 16th album The Beggar– under this model.
At this point, Swans’ reunion has spanned for nearly as long as their original run, and has spawned almost as many albums, marking one of the most impressive and interesting second chapters of any act of their era. By the very nature of their sound and attitude, they could never sustain on nostalgia alone, and more than 40 years in, Swans feel every bit as fresh, surprising, relevant, and essential as ever. Right after reforming, they made several stops in Nashville, but their last was way back in 2016. Which is why, on an upcoming spring run of U.S. dates, we’re especially existed to see a long-overdue Music City return, April 16 at Third Man Records’ The Blue Room, a venue that couldn’t be more perfect for hosting this legendary band. Longtime Swans collaborator Kristof Hahn is set to support, and tickets are on sale now right here. This one is guaranteed to sell out soon, so don’t sleep on it!
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April 12 – Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre
April 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
April 14 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
April 16 – Nashville, TN @ Blue Room at Third Man Records
April 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
April 20 – Birmingham, AL @ The Saturn
April 21 – New Orleans, LA @ The Civic Theatre
April 23 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
April 24 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
April 25 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
April 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sick New World Festival
April 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
May 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
May 5 – Salt Lake City, @ UT Soundwell
May 7 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
May 9 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
May 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
May 11 – Chicago, IL @ Cabaret Metro
May 14 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
May 16 – New York, NY @ Racket
May 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
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