Pitchfork

Out to prove once again that no one can sing a sweeter song about being mauled by a grizzly bear or skating over frozen ponds in search of your dead wife, deadpan Canadian folkster Hayden Desser is packing up his brown sweater, green shoes and the Elk-Lake Serenaders and heading out on tour, according to Hardwood Records' official website. Hayden's latest excursion is a part of his Elk-Lake Serenade tour, titled after his dusky and introspective May release-- which was, in turn, named after an antique 1930's kickdrum.

Hayden's fourth studio full-length-- released in the U.S. via Badman in May, and in Canada by Hardwood Recordings-- has encountered considerable success north of the border this Summer, remaining on or around the top of the Canadian Campus/Community Radio Airplay charts, where it's been hangin' out with (and above!) heavyweights like Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys. It remains to been seen if the discriminating, Modest Mouse-loving ears of the U.S. will be as welcoming. All the same, Hayden and the Elk-Lake Serenaders will be playing a variety of dates around the country and in Canada next month, at a variety of clubs that look something like this:

09-07 Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall *
09-08 Buffalo, NY - Sphere *
09-09 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *
09-10 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe *
09-12 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
09-13 New York, NY - The Knitting Factory *
09-14 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw *
09-16 Portland, ME - Big Easy *
09-17 Boston, MA - Paradise *
09-18 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber *
10-07 London, England - Bush Hall
10-08 Darvel, Scotland - Darvel Music Festival
10-12 Detroit, MI - Magic Bag *
10-13 Grand Rapids, MI - Division Ave. Arts
10-14 Chicago, IL - Schuba's *
10-18 Winnipeg, Manitoba - West End Cultural Centre *
10-20 Regina, Saskatchewan - The Exchange *
10-22 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall *
10-23 Edmonton, Alberta - Myer Horowitz Hall (U of A) *
10-26 Vancouver, British Columbia - Vogue Theatre *
10-27 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey *
11-01 San Francisco, CA - Cafe du Nord

* with Elk-Lake Serenaders and Cuff the Duke