Pitchfork

Besides goths and vampires, some people just don't care for the sun. Like alt-folkies with big, bushy beards. It's understandable, then, that those folks would shy away from the spate of summer music festivals in favor of something that doesn't require SPF 60 sunblock.

Unlike every other band on earth, Will Oldham is hitting the road this summer without a single festival date in sight. Hell, there are barely even any traditional venues in sight. Apart from four shows in two days at New York City's Joe's Pub, this summer's Bonnie "Prince" Billy tour consists entirely of performances at indie record stores. It starts July 21 at Grimey's in Nashville; that show is also a "paletas social" (paletas being "Mexican popsicles" according to the Grimey's website).

Summer in the Southeast, Midwest, even Canda!:

07-21 Nashville, TN - Grimey's
08-05 New York, NY - Joe's Pub (two shows) *
08-06 New York, NY - Joe's Pub (two shows) *
08-10 Milwaukee, WI - Atomic Records
08-11 Madison, WI - Madcity Music Exchange
08-12 Minneapolis, MN - Roadrunner
08-13 Iowa City, IA - Record Collector
08-14 Lawrence, KS - Love Garden
08-15 St. Louis, MO - Vintage Vinyl
08-17 Grand Rapids, MI - Vertigo
08-18 Detroit, MI - Stormy Records
08-19 Toronto, Ontario - Rotate This
08-20 Buffalo, NY - New World Record
08-21 Cleveland, OH - Bent Crayon

* with Hazel Dickens, Captain Anomoanon

Bonnie "Prince" Billy's new album, Then the Letting Go, is due out September 19 on Drag City (the day before on Domino in the UK). It will be preceded by the single "Cursed Sleep" on Drag City on July 25 (July 24 on Domino in the UK).