Akron/Family: Tour/Album

AKRON/FAMILY PREVIEWS MATERIAL FROM NEW ALBUM, SET ‘EM WILD, SET ‘EM FREE
AT INTIMATE SHOWS AND RESIDENCIES THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA

Akron/Family

We are excited to unveil the first details of Akron/Family‘s forthcoming album, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free, which will arrive May 5, 2009 on Dead Oceans. In celebration of this new chapter for Akron/Family, the band is previewing much of the material from Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free in special shows this coming March. Akron/Family will be playing a series of intimate residencies in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, playing multiple nights in venues far smaller than they normally would visit. Additionally, they will be doing co-headline shows with Born Ruffians in Toronto and Montreal, performing a St. Patrick’s Day blow out at Denver’s beautiful Oriental Theater, visiting the SXSW festival and playing at The New Museum in New York City. The band has hand-picked openers for each night of the residencies, and every city will feature special guest musicians joining Akron/Family on stage, with the hope that each night the audience will receive a unique experience.

Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free marks the band’s first album recorded as a trio; Seth Olinsky, Miles Seaton and Dana Janssen became a three-piece in 2007 after original member Ryan Vanderhoof left the band that fall, and this shift in their lineup reconfigured the band’s approach to touring. They brought along like-minded musicians such as Megafaun, the Dodos and Greg Davis, both as openers and as members of an ever-changing Akron/Family ensemble, bringing about cacophonous onstage jams interwoven between the band’s songs. Whether it’s the three members of Akron/Family – communicating and interacting with one another onstage with something like the visceral language of the classic John Coltrane or Albert Ayler ensembles – or upwards of a dozen guest musicians joining them, their live shows are becoming a thing of legend. Akron/Family’s 2008 Emo’s gig in Austin was one of these legendary performances. The band led the audience and nearly 20 musicians from the stage in an Arkestra-like free-for-all to a riotous, shirtless and sing-a-long parade in the streets. These unhinged performances have been witnessed by audiences at the Monolith, Isle of Wight, High Sierra, Coachella and End of the Road festivals, and since then word has traveled fast about the magic of Akron/Family. The trio of Olinsky, Seaton and Janssen is a sight to behold, and this rare opportunity to see the band performing in intimate spaces is one not to be missed.

More information about Akron/Family’s Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free will be announced shortly.

Akron/Family Upcoming Tour Dates:
03/06/09 San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern
03/07/09 San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern w/ Citay
03/08/09 San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern
03/10/09 Los Angeles, CA – Steve Allen Theatre w/ Golden Animals
03/11/09 Los Angeles, CA – Steve Allen Theatre w/ Hollywood Hotshots
03/12/09 Los Angeles, CA – Steve Allen Theatre
03/17/09 Denver, CO – Oriental Theatre
03/18/09-03/21/09 Austin, TX SXSW
03/22/09 Hamilton, ON – The Casbah w/ Rock Plaza Central
03/23/09 Toronto, ON – Sneaky Dees w/ Born Ruffians
03/24/09 Toronto, ON – Sneaky Dees w/ Born Ruffians
03/25/09 Montreal, QC – Il Motore w/ Born Ruffians
03/26/09 Montreal, QC – Il Motore w/ Born Ruffians
03/27/09 New York City, NY – The New Museum w/ The Lexie Mountain Boys
03/28/09 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool w/ Gold Sparkle Band
03/29/09 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool w/ Larkin Grimm