Pitchfork

Given all of China's recent socio-economic- political-military-cultural advancements (they are way post-industrial over there), it's a shame they haven't been able to incorporate a little American rock into their plan for a new future. At least, not without incident. Sonic Youth and Pretty Girls Make Graves' recent trips to China have hit various snags thanks in part to the slightly- more-repressive-than-ours government.

First, there was the soon-to-disband Pretty Girls Make Graves, who had to scrap their whole run of Chinese dates (which would've started last night at Beijing's Mao Live). According to PGMG's label Matador, following some miscommunications with promoters, Pretty Girls were unable to secure work visas in time for the shows. Having nixed their four dates in China, they will continue their farewell tour May 10 in Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, Sonic Youth's gig Tuesday night in Shanghai apparently went off without a hitch-- but the night before in Beijing, things got a bit dicey for their hand-picked openers, local power-trio Car-Sick Cars. According to Berwin Song at publication That's Beijing, China's Ministry of Culture-- the final word on permit-issuance for rock shows-- scrapped the Car-Sick show roughly an hour before showtime, reportedly due to Sonic Youth's involvement in the Free Tibet cause. Sonic Youth's performance went on without incident, and they reportedly threw a shout out to the embattled Cars before their take on "Kool Thing".

A representative from Sonic Youth's camp confirmed the Car-Sick cancellation, but said SY are not commenting on the matter. Sonic Youth's tour continues today at Coachella.

Pretty Girls Make Graves farewell tour dates:

04-26 Beijing, China - Mao Live
04-27 Hong Kong, China - TBA
04-28 Shanghai, China - 4Live
04-29 Beijing, China - D22
05-10 Milwaukee, WI - Todd Wehr Auditorium *#
05-11 Iowa City, IA - Picador *#
05-12 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *#
05-13 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop #
05-14 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls #
05-16 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar *#
05-17 Cambridge, MA - Middle East #
05-18 Providence, RI - Living Room *#
05-19 New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre #
05-20 Washington, DC - Black Cat *#
05-22 Atlanta, GA - Earl *#
05-23 Tampa, FL - Orpheum *#
05-24 Orlando, FL - The Social #
05-26 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon #
05-27 Denton, TX - Hailey's #
05-28 Austin, TX - Emo's #
05-29 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad #
05-30 Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse #
06-02 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse #
06-03 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #
06-04 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall #
06-09 Seattle, WA - Neumos #

* with Call Me Lightning
# with Moonrats

Sonic Youth dates:

04-27 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
05-17-20 Brooklyn, NY – No Fun Fest #
06-02 Barcelona, Spain - Parc dèl Forum (Primavera Sound) ^
06-15 Interlaken, Switzerland - Greenfield Festival
06-16 Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
06-18 St. Petersburg, Russia - Manezh Kadetskogo Korpusa
06-19 Moscow, Russia - B1 Club
06-21 Munich, Germany - Tollwood Festival ^
06-23 Neuhausen, Germany - Southside Festival
06-24 Scheessel, Germany - Hurricane Festival
06-26 Cologne, Germany - E Werk
06-27 Berlin, Germany - Columbia Halle ^
06-29 Gdynia, Poland - Open'er Festival
07-01 Cergy-Pontoise, France - Furia Sound Festival
07-03 Istres, France - La Palio
07-05 Turin, Italy - Spaziale ^
07-06 Ferrara, Italy - Piazza Castello ^
07-07 Rome, Italy - Romano di Ostia Antica ^
07-13 Chicago, IL - Union Park (Pitchfork Music Festival/ATP Don't Look Back) ^
07-19 Berkeley, CA - Berkeley Community Theater ^
07-20 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre ^
08-30 London, England - Roundhouse (ATP Don't Look Back) ^
08-31 London, England - Roundhouse (ATP Don't Look Back) ^
09-01 London, England - Roundhouse (ATP Don't Look Back) ^
09-02 Stradbally, Ireland - Electric Picnic

# Thurston Moore/Jim O'Rourke, Kim Gordon/Yoshimi
^ performing Daydream Nation