As long as I’ve lived — growing up in Will Oldham’s hometown of Louisville — I’ve never heard anyone actually call the guy “Prince.” But that nom de plume/nickname is starting to make more sense in 2018, as the artist Will Oldham (master of light and darkness, deliverer of curious feelings, known to some as Bonnie, others as Billy, and still others as Palace Music) is finally bent on global domination.
Oldham is hitting the road and he’s hitting it hard. Starting off the Summer with a handful of live solo shows, he will later this season be delivering a series of lectures at Duke University before starting his longer full-band tour with The Wandering All-Stars & Motor Royalty. (Duke? Really? And to think he wouldn’t even speak at my high school graduation…)
What’s more, at every one of these shows (which begin THIS WEEKEND!!!), you’ll also be able to purchase the upcoming book Songs of Love and Horror, a definitive collection of Oldham’s lyrics with explanatory annotations galore.
Also, you may have noticed this tour directly follows the slow-but-steady stream of Oldham’s albums that have been added, chronologically, to streaming services each week this Summer (earlier this year, Oldham’s label-home of Drag City finally gave up the goat and digitizing the whole royal lot of them after years of decrying the medium). Surely, then, this man is now poised to take over the Earth, spreading his reign far and wide so that the sun will never set on the Empire of Billy.
If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the beautiful bluegrass state, this may very well be the first time in years you’ve had the opportunity to see the ‘Prince’ in all his unplugged glory. And soon, he’ll be too preoccupied with his duties of divine right to take part in such peasant activities such as “concerts” and “lectures,” so you might want to grab this opportunity while you can.
Long live the king! Oops… I mean, Prince!
The royal procession:
06.09.18 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre*
06.10.18 - Peterborough, NH - The Thing in the Spring*
06.11.18 - Burlington, VT - Arts Riot Studio*
09.26.18 - Durham, NC - Duke University^
09.27.18 - Durham, NC - Duke University^
09.28.18 - Durham, NC - Baldwin Auditorium
10.07.18 - Chicago, IL - Art Institute of Chicago
10.08.18 - Nelsonville, OH - Stuart’s Opera House
10.09.18 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere Music Hall
10.11.18 - Brooklyn, NY - Murmrr Theatre
10.13.18 - North Adams, MA - Mass MOCA
10.14.18 - Portland, ME - One Longfellow Square
* Solo
^ Lecture
More about: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
