The Violent Femmes have been back in action since 2013 after taking a break in 2009. They burst back onto the scene with a performance at Coachella that set the precedent for the coming years. To the delight of new and old fans, the Femmes will be touring North America starting in June. The band recently released a video for the single “Love Love Love Love Love” off their new album, which first premiered on Jimmy Fallon.
Jake Brebes, who also wrote the song, directed the animated video for “Love Love Love Love Love” on an iPhone. Various creatures and people are shown throughout, including a three-eyed furry animal, a head banging teen, and a skeleton smoking a cigarette. The incredible, yet bizarre animation reminds me of something between a Tim Burton film and Nickelodeon’s Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. In other words, it is awesome.
The new EP, Happy New Year, is out now and is the band’s first new collection in 15 years. Happy New Year was released on Record Store Day and will be available for digital download worldwide on June 2nd. The EP is currently one of the top sellers of Record Store Day for 2015. Happy New Year was recorded fittingly on New Years Eve of last year in Hobart, Tasmania.
The Violent Femmes are currently made up of vocalist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Brian Viglione. The trio will soon appear as special guests on the “2015 Last Summer on Earth Tour” with the Barenaked Ladies. The tour begins on June 5th in Columbus, Ohio and ends in late July. They’ll also be playing a sold out show on May 19th at Brooklyn’s Rough Trade before embarking on the tour. While Rough Trade is sold out, they will be retuning to NYC to play again on July 1st. See the tour dates below for other nearby shows.
The Femmes were formed in 1981 and were at the pinnacle of the Indie Rock Era. A blend of folk and punk, they were considered one of the most original bands of the time. A legendary trio, fans will be lucky to catch the Femmes on tour this spring and summer. They will also be playing a few shows between their tour dates with the Barenaked Ladies. You can check tour dates here to see if they’ll be playing close to you.
Violent Femmes Tour Dates
(The dates listed below include dates on the “2015 Last Summer on Earth Tour” as well as dates separate from the tour. To see more specific details, click on the link above to view tour dates on the band’s website.
May 19th Rough Trade, Brooklyn NY
May 22nd, Summer Camp Music Festival, Chillicothe, IL
June 5th, Columbus, OH
June 6th, Cleveland OH
June 7th, Toledo, OH
June 8th, Cedar Rapids, IA
June 10th, Denver, CO
June 12th, Red Wing, MN
June 13th, Milwaukee, WI
June 14th, Bluffs, IA
June 16th, Chicago, IL
June 17TH, Indianapolis, IN
June 19th, Cincinnati, OH
June 20th, Detroit, MI
June 21st, Salamanca, NY
June 23rd, Pittsburgh, PA
June 26th, Portland, ME
June 27th, Uncasville, CT
June 28th, Philadelphia, PA
June 29th, Boston, MA
July 1st, New York, NY
July 2nd, Princeton Junction, NJ
July 4th, Raleigh, NC
July 8th, Charlotte, NC
July 10th, Boca Raton, FL
July 11th, St. Augustine, FL
July 12th, Atlanta, GA
July 13th, Nashville, TN
July 15th, Dallas, TX
July 17th, Albuquerque, NM
July 18th, Las Vegas, NV
July 19th, San Diego, CA
July 21st, Los Angeles, CA
July 22nd, Saratoga, CA
July 24th, Boise, ID
July 25th, Portland, OR
July 26th, Seattle, WA
Article: Ashley Rodriguez
