He’s a favorite of Ariel Pink, Mike Watt, and MGMT. He’s the son of Elvis/Dylan/Quincy Jones backing bassist Bob Moore. He’s released over 400 albums in the four decades he’s been making music. And now underground legend R. Stevie Moore is about to embark on his first-ever tour.
But who is this “national treasure unrecognized in his homeland,” as Rolling Stone so succinctly put it? And how (and why) is he just now going on tour? It’s the Glee effect, isn’t it? Those happy-clappy musical teenagers decided to sing a song off Moore’s 1976 debut Phonography in the middle of their pottery workshop and it was time to cash in. Okay, so that’s not entirely it. Not at all. It’s that other wondrous phenomenon of the early 21st century: Kickstarter.
So. To get back to your first question, R. Stevie Moore is the type of home recording pro who music journalists like to call a ‘reclusive genius.’ He releases work through his own R. Stevie Moore Cassette Club, which he founded in 1981. But recently, like many of us, Mr. Moore fell on some hard times. He moved back to his hometown of Nashville after finding himself dangerously close to being homeless. Once in Nashville, he recorded a new album, Advanced, with the help of funds raised via Kickstarter.
From then on, things started looking up. Moore went to Brooklyn to rehearse with tourmates/backing band Tropical Ooze, and the rest is history! Moore and the Ooze hosted the Culture Shock! Festival at SUNY Purchase and headlined Davis, CA’s Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom Festival, and now they’re about to travel the dusty roads of these United States together before jetting off to Europe later this summer. The tour will be documented by Jon Demiglio for an upcoming film about the Forgotten Wizard of Home Recording.
Dates:
06.01.11 - New York, NY - Kim’s Video and Music (solo)
06.02.11 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza *
06.10.11 - Bordentown, NJ - The Record Collector Store (solo)
06.12.11 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House
06.13.11 - Providence, RI - Machines with Magnets
06.14.11 - Boston, MA - Church
06.15.11 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
06.16.11 - Baltimore, MD - The Talking Head Club
06.18.11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Modern Formations Gallery
06.19.11 - Detroit, MI - The Magic Stick
06.20.11 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
06.22.11 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
06.23.11 - Milwaukee, WI - The Cactus Club
06.25.11 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
06.26.11 - Iowa City, IA - Blue Moose Taphouse
06.27.11 - Kansas City, KS - TBA
06.30.11 - Denton, TX - Hailey’s
07.01.11 - Austin, TX - Emo’s Outside
07.02.11 - Little Rock, AR - White Water Tavern
07.03.11 - Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone
07.05.11 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
07.06.11 - Athens, GA - Farm225
07.07.11 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle
07.08.11 - Raleigh, NC - King’s Barcade
07.09.11 - Greensboro, NC - The Blind Tiger
* Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
• R. Stevie Moore: http://www.rsteviemoore.com