y your tickets now, because these shows are going to sell out this winter. RELEVANT has filtered through the Nickelback and Staind tours and found the best bets for this painfully cold time of year.
Electronic looping has never sounded so… classically trained. This Chicagoan takes away the collective breaths of his audience by combining whistling, violin and glockenspiel into an orchestra of indie rock. In support of his most subtly ambitious album yet, Noble Beast, Andrew Bird will once again prove his place as one of rock music’s finest live performers. Sub Pop Records’ up-and-coming Swedish indie-popper, Loney Dear, supports.
Cat Power
Cat Power been providing a very soothing take on soul music lately, never forgetting to make humble bows to her predecessors in the process. Her last two full lengths, The Greatest and Jukebox, have held a secure spot on my record player for the last few months. It’s great music for the Southern dusk aesthetic, front porches and wine. Chan Marshall’s voice is the driving force behind her original songs, as well the songs of others that she lends her vision to. Her remake of The Highwaymen’s “Silver Stallion” rivals the original. -Zach Gehring
Fiction Family
Four years ago, Switchfoot was playing in Chicago and the bluegrass band Nickel Creek joined them on stage to collaborate on a song. Four years later, the chief songwriters from each band, Jon Foreman and Sean Watkins, have joined forces for Fiction Family, a rootsy side project that weaves story-songs in the spirit of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. This is most likely the only tour they’ll do together, as both need to get back to their “full-time jobs.” The tour is a unique opportunity to see two great songwriters feeding off one another’s creativity. -Seth Hurd
The Boss’s early cuts sound like vintage tracks, especially the latest for The Wrestler. As a living legend and a pioneer in so many areas, being able to take in the new and old along with the E-Street Band would fulfill a lifelong goal and, one must assume, would become a night to remember. -Matt Conner
After a late night arrival at the Pitchfork Festival last summer, Cut Copy proved to be legitimate party-starters. These Australian dance-pop stars would sound like a guilty pleasure if their catchy melodies weren’t so brutally sincere. Supporting Cut Copy on their winter tour is the equally energetic and bouncy indie pop of Matt & Kim.
The Clarity Tour. For only 10 dates in February, Jimmy Eat World will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their best album. The band will play Clarity in its entirety. The whole tour has basically been sold out for a while, but there’s always eBay to help you get this little piece of emo history.
M83 w/ The Killers
The ’80s aren’t really back, and nobody wants that anyway. What we do want is awesome synth-rock that will simultaneously cause us to shoegaze and headbang. M83 and The Killers will wrap up their tour in the States through February before flying into Europe.
Lykke Li
Coming all the way from Sweden, this girl is bringing the cool of the North to the States. Fashion and fun are the reason to see Lykke Li this February. Dancing isn’t required, but you’ll miss out on a lot of fun if you decide to lean against the bar at this one.
