Pitchfork, Tour Preview >>
So you read Pitchfork's recent Afrobeat feature, dutifully picked up Fela Kuti's Zombie, but haven't felt compelled to go back to it? Won't be able to make any of the June tour dates for Antibalas? Patience, friends; you'll have one more chance to spend a sweltering summer night shaking your rump to some politically-charged beats. That's right, Fela's biological and musical heir, Femi Kuti, has announced a full slate of July tour dates covering much of North America.
The tour, however, will not be tied down to the Kuti-approved genres of jazz, funk, and traditional African pop. Senegalese hip-hop act Daara J will open up for Femi on several of the later dates, while Mos Def, who worked with Femi on the latter's 2001 album Fight to Win, will make an appearance at the Hollywood Bowl on July 24. And remember, distance from the show is no excuse: Kuti lives in Nigeria, so the least you can do is drive a couple hundred miles to meet him. Put down that !!! disc and get moving:
07-06 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
07-07 Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
07-08 Ann Arbor, MI - Summer Festival
07-09 Chicago, IL - Metro
07-10 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
07-12 South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
07-13 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
07-14 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
07-15 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of Living Arts
07-16 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
07-17 New York, NY - Central Park SummerStage
07-20 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater #
07-22 Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theatre #
07-23 San Diego, CA - House Of Blues #
07-24 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl (with Mos Def) #
07-27 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore #
07-28 Eugene, OR - The Jungle #
07-29 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom #
07-30 Seattle, WA - Showbox #
# with Daara J
Not content to put up with American food just to open up for Kuti, Daara J have also scheduled some solo tour dates for before and after. The trio rap in French and in a Senegalese language called Wolof (the source of their name, which means "School of Life"). Still riding on the wave of their third album, Boomerang, their intro course starts here:
07-14 New York, NY - Lincoln Center Festival (with Wyclef Jean)
07-15 Toronto, Ontario - Harbourfront Centre
07-16 Vancouver, British Columbia - Vancouver Folk Musis Festival
07-17 Detroit, MI - Concert Of Colors
07-18 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
07-31 Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater
08-06 San Francisco, CA - 12 Galaxies
08-07 Piercy, CA - Reggae on the River
* Femi Kuti: http://www.mcarecords.com/ArtistMain.asp?ArtistId=174
* Daara J: http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/go/daaraj
05/05/05 >> go there
