Actually, the shows will be performed by The Folk Implosion (One Part Featuring Lou Barlow). The other half of the group — John Davis — is under the weather and unable to tour, so Barlow has decided to go it alone.

The concept fits right in with the band’s nontraditional philosophy. The musicians who earned a solid cult following with the hit “Natural One” and subsequent releases didn’t intend to be a regular rock outfit, anyway.

“Folk Implosion was never really conceived of as a live touring band,” said the group’s booking agent, the William Morris Agency’s Jim Haljun. “In the past, they’ve done some speciality shows, but that’s about it.”

However, when the innovative duo’s latest album, One Part Lullaby, came out on Interscope Records, Barlow and Davis wanted to get in front of the fans.

“With the release of the new record, it was important to Lou and to John to bring a live presence to the recording, so they conceived of a way to present the material live,” Haljun told Pollstar.

Earlier this year, Davis had some complicated health problems that prevented him from going on the road but Barlow still wanted to promote the record and play live. He’s going ahead with the tour, playing guitar and using prerecorded backing tracks to flesh out the sound.

That environment should suit the music just fine considering The Folk Implosion’s use of sound samples, unusual instruments (dulcimer, glass of water, bucket and cookie sheet appear on the new album), and such.

“We really wanted to acknowledge the fact that The Folk Implosion is this unique partnership between these two talented individuals,” Haljun said. “At the same time, I didn’t feel right advertising the show strictly as The Folk Implosion because it’s really going to be Lou.

“We decided to use The Folk Implosion (One Part Featuring Lou Barlow). We thought that would be the most descriptive, even if it is a bit wordy.”

The tour starts in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 22. Eight dates have been confirmed so far and more may follow.