Kurt Vile live in Wellington

Drunken Piano and Noisey present

Kurt Vile

live in Wellington

FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER, 2015 - Get excited Wellington. Drunken Piano and Noisey very proudly present the mighty Kurt Vile in his first solo show in New Zealand, hot on the heels of Kurt Vile’s glorious new album b’lieve i’m goin down… , out now on Matador via Remote Control. Kurt Vile announce a Wellington show at San Fran on Wednesday 13 January.

As kindred spirit Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth wrote in her artist biography for Kurt’s new album, “Kurt does his own myth making; a boy/man with an old soul voice in the age of digital everything becoming something else, which is why this focused, brilliantly clear and seemingly candid record is a breath of fresh air…. a handshake across the country, east to west coast, thru the dustbowl history (“valley of ashes”) of woody honest strait forward talk guthrie, and a cali canyon dead still nite floating in a nearly waterless landscape. The record is all air, weightless, bodyless, but grounded in convincing authenticity, in the best version of singer songwriter upcycling.”

As eponymous American Grantland magazine recently observed, “Kurt Vile frequently invokes Neil Young in conversation, as both a talisman and a role model. But the most authentic link between Vile and Young is the way in which they freely commingle pathos and goofiness in their songs, resulting in a tonal messiness that feels like real life.”

And as Pitchfork remarked in their Best New Music review: “As compelling as Vile’s words can be, much of the magic lies in his delivery. Like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan, Vile’s singing voice has acquired an unstable accent of indeterminate origin that shifts to suit his musical decisions, rather than connecting to genre or region or even his own upbringing. Most often, he’s got a nasally twang unlike that of any other native Philadelphian, and it helps his low-key murmur cut through the wooly mid-tempo haze. That twang makes his music feel more grounded and conversational, and there’s also a bit of a “Hey, it’s me again” quality the first time you hear it on a new album, an aural watermark that never leaves you any doubt that you are listening to a Kurt Vile record.”

But what’s the live show like? Kurt played Portland’s Crystal Ballroom on Saturday, and according to reviewer Brandon Simnacher, “The performance was inspiring... and Kurt’s presence was enchanting.” Can't wait.

Kurt Vile
Wednesday 13 January | San Fran, Wellington

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday 27 October
via Dash Tickets and Under The Radar.

Note: Kurt Vile will also play the Sherwood Hotel in Queenstown on 14 January and Chicks Hotel in Dunedin on 15 January. Tickets via Under The Radar.

ENDS

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