Pitchfork

Pearl Jam continues its longstanding tradition of inviting bands much, much cooler than they are to tour with them, as it was announced today that the second leg of PJ's summer tour will feature not only Sonic Youth, but Robert Pollard, filling opening duties. Onward, to the MGM Grand Arena!

As previously reported, My Morning Jacket will join Eddie Vedder and his crew for the first part of their stadium-oriented U.S. stint. Then, Pollard will fill in for a couple shows, followed by, yes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, for four performances. (No, Tom Petty is not opening for Pearl Jam; they seem to be co-headlining.) Sonic Youth will bring things to a close with a seven-show run.

Pearl Jam dates:

04-20 London, England - The Astoria
05-09 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre *
05-10 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre *
05-12 Albany, NY - Pepsi Arena *
05-13 Hartford, CT - New England Dodge Music Arena *
05-16 Chicago, IL - United Center *
05-17 Chicago, IL - United Center *
05-19 Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena *
05-20 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena *
05-22 Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills *
05-24 Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden *
05-25 Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden *
05-27 Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center at the Waterfront *
05-28 Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center at the Waterfront *
05-30 Washington, DC - Verizon Center *
06-01 East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena *
06-03 East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena *
06-23 Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena #
06-24 Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena #
06-26 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center ^
06-27 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center ^
07-02 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center ^
07-03 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center ^
07-06 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Arena @
07-07 San Diego, CA - Cox Arena @
07-09 Los Angeles, CA - The Great Western Forum @
07-10 Los Angeles, CA - The Great Western Forum @
07-13 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl @
07-16 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium @
07-28 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium @
07-22 George, WA - The Gorge

* with My Morning Jacket
# with Robert Pollard
^ with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
@ with Sonic Youth

In other Sonic Youth news, Sonic Youth's upcoming record, Rather Ripped, is scheduled for a June 13 release courtesy of Geffen (the vinyl lands on the band's Goofin' Records). But you knew that already.

What you didn't know, and what Billboard.com has just reported, is that Moore, Kim Gordon, and their daughter Coco will appear on the May 9 season finale of "Gilmore Girls". Apparently, the trio (with Coco on "shakers"?!) will play an acoustic version of the Rather Ripped song "What a Waste".

It's official: "Gilmore Girls" is now the coolest show on television. Sorry, "Aqua Teen".

Interested parties can also tune into Air America's Marc Maron show tonight, where Moore will reveal more about the album. A few weeks prior to Ripped's release, Matthew Stearn's 33 1/3 series book analyzing SY's 1988 classic, Daydream Nation, will be published by Continuum Books.

Finally, Thurston has been tapped to curate All Tomorrow's Parties' Nightmare Before Christmas festival, taking place this December in England. So far, the only acts announced are Sonic Youth and Iggy & the Stooges, but can you really fuck with that? No.

Sonic Youth non-Pearl Jam dates:

04-20 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
06-18 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo *
08-05 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza) ^
12-08-10 Minehead, England - Butlins Holiday Resort #

* with Radiohead, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Beck, Elvis Costello, Cat Power, lotsa other people
^ with the Flaming Lips, Kanye West, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, the Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age, the Shins, the Go! Team, Sleater-Kinney, the New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Built to Spill, Gnarls Barkley, Feist, Iron & Wine, Ryan Adams, Andrew Bird, Common, and more
# with Iggy and the Stooges