Tortoise on tour!

[greenMonkey]

Tortoise is going to tour from mid-June through the first week or two of July this summer!  Sadly, non-Americans get the shaft, as they are only touring America.  I am very excited, because they are coming to where I live (Minneapolis), and they are playing at an awesome venue.  It's The Cedar Cultural Center, and it's a small, intimate venue which hosts lots of jazz and folk concerts as well as some indie shows and the like.  Also, the venue is all ages.  This makes me especially happy because I have missed Explosions in the Sky, Do Make Say Think, Isis, and Amiina this year because of age limits.  Does anyone else have any plans to see Tortoise on this tour?

[Kai]

!!!

They are coming here in June. I think I can definitely make this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[greenMonkey]

I love TNT, and all of their other albums are great as well.  I can see how some people would find them boring, but I really enjoy them.  I am definitely going to try and make it to this concert.

Edit: Okay, preordered my tickets.  Now I just have to wait until June 30th.

[TheFuriousWombat]

They're playing in Philly at some point. June or late may I think. Tickets are a tad beyond my price range (around $17-$20 I think) but I may end up going anyway.

[greenMonkey]

I know this is a really old thread but I have to revive it because I just got back from the concert and HOLY SHIT.

WHO KNEW TORTOISE COULD ROCK THE FUCK OUT?!

Also Make Believe were very good.  Now I have to sleep because I have been on my feet for like 4 hours straight.

[greenMonkey]

I'm pretty sure it was the second to last show, they are still playing one more tonight in Chicago.  But Make Believe were very good, I really enjoyed them.  Tim Kinsella seemed like a really fun guy.

[ScrambledGregs]

Having seen the DVD that comes with their recent boxed set and a few videos floating around the Tubes of You, I have to ask: what makes Tortoise a compelling live band?? I mean I adore the band and would like to see them live, but they don't strike me as an amazing live band. Do they change the songs slightly?? Segue songs into each other?? Play really energetically??

[Stefan Autsa]

I have an idea for a tour but it requires an answer first; is there a band called Hare?

[RyanT]

Tortoise is playing in Chicago tonight, and I was hoping to go, but Built to Spill is playing in Milwaukee (which is an hour and a half closer) and I saw Tortoise two summers ago at Intonation.  I still want to see them again someday, so they better keep on keepin' on.

[greenMonkey]

Having seen the DVD that comes with their recent boxed set and a few videos floating around the Tubes of You, I have to ask: what makes Tortoise a compelling live band?? I mean I adore the band and would like to see them live, but they don't strike me as an amazing live band. Do they change the songs slightly?? Segue songs into each other?? Play really energetically??

Some things I noticed last night that made them interesting:

1. Energy - I have always thought of Tortoise as being a mellow, softer band, but last night they played LOUD and were really energetic.  The drummers were bashing away at their sets (at one point one of them took his cymbals off the stands, threw them on his snare, and played them that way), the guitars and basses were rocking out, the vibraphone and marimba punched as well, and the synths were surprisingly badass.  All this added up to the fact that they had ENERGY, and it engaged me and even made me want to dance.  They certainly weren't boring in the least.

2. Passion - I could tell that everyone on that stage was fully into the music and was giving everything they had to the audience and the music.

3. Musicianship - They were skill-wise some of the best musicians I have ever seen play live.

Another thing: some bands sound utterly and completely different live than they do on the album.  This can be good or bad.  I noticed that Tortoise sounded similar to how they do on their albums, but with more energy and a few melodic alterations that added to the live experience.  I really enjoyed how they definitely sounded like the Tortoise I had listened to, but better.  Also, they did some interesting things with segueing songs from different albums into each other, and it worked very well.  I really, really enjoyed the concert and I hope to see them live again.