Spinal Tap: Unplugged Tour

SPINAL TAP Unplugged Tour Announced

This Is Spinal Tap

Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, who portrayed the faux heavy metal band Spinal Tap in the music mockumentary This is Spinal Tap (1984), have announced a 30 city “Unwigged and Unplugged” tour, a stripped down version of the rockin’ days. Not a full-blown Spinal Tap reunion, but a great chance to hear their music. “When we were doing the Tap show, it was 90 minutes to 120 minutes of really, really hard work and running up and down the rafters, and we had big special effects, and we played electric instruments, and we had wigs, and we got very sweaty,” said McKean, who played lead singer David St Hubbins. “This is none of that.” The three are truly accomplished musicians who have been playing together since 1978 and have said they will perform music from their Spinal Tap days as well as from later film efforts, like the folk-music spoof A Mighty Wind.

Tickets go on sale Friday (March 6, 2009) for the 30-city tour, which begins April 17 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Expect a new album as well, as the trio have recorded studio versions of the Spinal Tap songs that appeared in live form on the film and soundtrack. The album (title TBD) also will contain seven or eight unheard tracks and will be released May 26.

“Unwigged and Unplugged” Tour Dates:

April 17: Vancouver, B.C. (Center for the Performing Arts)
April 19: Portland, Ore. (Keller Auditorium)
April 20: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
April 22: Oakland, Calif. (Paramount Theatre)
April 23: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara County Bowl)
April 26: Los Angeles (The Wiltern)
April 27: Phoenix, Ariz. (Dodge Theatre)
April 29: Denver (Paramount Theatre)
May 1: Houston, Texas (Jesse H, Jones Hall)
May 2: Dallas (Nokia Theatre)
May 4: Jacksonville, Fla. Florida Theatre)
May 5: Miami (The Fillmore)
May 6: Orlando, Fla, (Hard Rock Live)
May 8: St. Petersburg, Fla. (Mahaffey Theatre)
May 9: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)
May 10: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
May 12: Baltimore (Lyric Opera House)
May 13: Washington, D.C. (Warner Theatre)
May 14: Philadelphia (Keswick Theatre)
May 17: Columbus, Ohio (Palace Theatre)
May 19: Cleveland, Ohio (State Theatre)
May 21: Toronto (Massey Hall)
May 22: Mashantucket, Conn. (MGM Grand Theatre at Foxwoods)
May 23: Boston (The Wilbur Theatre)
May 24: Atlantic City, N.J. (Music Box at The Borgata)
May 26: New York (Beacon Theatre)
May 27: New York (Beacon Theatre)
May 29: Detroit (Fox Theatre)
May 30: Chicago (Chicago Theatre)
May 31: Milwaukee, Wis. (Riverside Theatre)