The grind of touring is compared to many things: grand opera, poetry, war. But the truth is often less dramatic and more boring than you would think; interacting with venue-loads of strangers and backstage acquaintances and a lot of waiting around killing time are the main names of the game while on the road. The latter is mostly unavoidable and can twist your melon into unhealthy shapes if you let it. Tour tedium can be lessened greatly by the former, fortunately.
Soon, Katie Crutchfield won’t have much time on tour to sit idly and watch the walls. She’ll be too busy mingling with admiring strangers that multiply exponentially for each new tour and stage mates that will be increasingly familiar with each new date. Detroit’s heart-on-sleeve melodists Bonny Doon have been announced as the opening act AND as Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee backing band for some North American west coast dates in February and March.
And why not? There are few things better than playing your music for happy, enthusiastic fans with happy, enthusiastic musicians you admire. And the fit between Boony Doon and Crutchfield is an ideal one, considering Waxahatchee’s recent rootsier approach. Crutchfield is rightfully jazzed about the dates:
I’m so excited to announce this west coast tour with Bonny Doon. They are, and have long been, one of my favorite bands making music right now. For this tour they will join me on stage as my backing band which will be a really cool re-imagining of songs new and old. I’ll be taking a little time off the road to write so this tour will be a great last round of shows for a while.
Waxahatchee’s latest release is September’s stripped-down, much-lauded Great Thunder EP (Merge). And Bonny Doon’s most recent is their sophomore album Longwave (Woodsist). All future North American and current Australian dates are listed down below, right after a couple of choice musical tasters that’ll never bore your earbuds.
Waxahatchee Australia tour:
11.22.18 - Brisbane, Australia - The Fundry #
11.24.18 - The Range, Australia - Porchland #
11.27.18 - Melbourne, Australia - Corner Hotel #
11.28.18 - Melbourne, Australia - Northcote Social Club #
11.29.18 - Melbourne, Australia - Northcote Social Club #
12.01.18 - Berry, Australia - Fairgrounds Festival
12.02.18 - Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House #
# Kevin Morby
Waxahatchee west coast tour:
02.21.18 - Tacoma, WA - Fawcett Hall at Alma Mater ^
02.23.18 - Seattle, WA - St. Mark’s Cathedral ^
02.24.18 - Vancouver, BC - Wise Hall ^
02.25.18 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater ^
02.27.18 - San Rafael, CA - Terrapin Crossroads ^
02.28.18 - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door ^
03.01.18 - Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever ^
03.02.18 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace ^
03.03.18 - San Diego, CA - Irenic ^
^ Bonny Doon