Portishead make long awaited return to North America

I was lucky enough to catch much of their Coachella set and it was both chilling and mesmerizing. Here's tour details that came in today...

Nobody sounds like Portishead. The progression of their albums has clearly established their uncompromising stance towards their future. For the first time since 1998, Portishead announce their North American tour this October. 

Portishead kick off their tour at this year’s All Tomorrow's Parties on Oct. 1-2 in Asbury Park, N.J. Portishead co-curated these two days of the three-day festival.

According to band member Adrian Utley, “We've always thought that we must come back to tour in the States, something we wanted to do with the release of Third, but our schedule just wouldn’t allow it. Being that we were asked to curate [ATP], this just seemed like a good start to touring the states - it set’s it off in absolutely the right way. We are absolutely delighted to come back.” 

Following ATP, Portishead will take the stage at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom for two nights (Oct. 4-5), followed by shows in Montreal (Oct. 7), Toronto (Oct. 9-10), Chicago (Oct. 12), Mexico (Oct. 15), Los Angeles (Oct. 18), San Francisco (Oct. 21), Seattle (Oct. 23), Vancouver (Oct. 24). The tour ends in Denver on Oct. 27. 

After an 11-year hiatus, Portishead’s 2008 album Third debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, received rave reviews and was hailed as an “unexpected yet totally impressive return”  by Rolling Stone.

Following Third's release, Portishead made their only U.S. performance on April 26 at Coachella '08 after an invite only private rehearsal at LA’s Mayan Theater.

“Beth Gibbons and Co. delivered bigtime, turning out stirring new songs from their first album in more than a decade. The band's warm peels of sound moved across the field like an aural massage, the six touring members locked in together with incredible precision, every turntable scratch and haunting synth gorgeously amplified,” praised Rolling Stone. Appropriately Portishead ended their set with "Thanks for waiting.” 

Joining Utley, Beth Gibbons and Geoff Barrow on stage are bassist Jim Barr, drummer Clive Deamer and keyboardist John Baggott.

Tickets for all shows except Chicago go on sale to the general public on July 15-16. Chicago on sale is July 22.

For more info and pre-sale details, go to: http://www.portishead.co.uk