Monsters Of Folk Take Over The World

After touring together and sharing the stage on one another’s sets back in 2004, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis and singer/songwriter M. Ward are hitting the road this fall for their debut tour as the supergroup Monsters Of Folk.

The tour includes 17 North American dates followed by a 7-date European tour.

The scariest guys the folk world has ever seen begin their journey at Orpheum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Oct. 13 and wrap up the North American tour Nov. 11 at the Academy Of Music in Philadelphia.

Additional dates include Paramount Theatre in Seattle (Oct. 15), Greek Theatre in Los Angeles (Oct. 18), Auditorium Theatre in Chicago (Oct. 30) and United Palace in New York (Nov. 6).

Photo: Doug Seymour

The European tour kicks off Nov. 12 at the Philadelphia Church in Stockholm, Sweden and concludes Nov. 22 at Arenbergschouwburg in Antwerp, Belgium.

There’s also shows in Germany, Denmark, the U.K., France and the Netherlands.

Monsters of Folk have pledged to donate $1 from every ticket sold on tour to local non-profits through a partnership with the Air Traffic Control, an organization that works with musicians on philanthropic and social change work.

Pre-sale tickets for North American shows go on sale July 28 with the public on-sale July 31. Tickets for the European gigs will be available July 27.

Monsters Of Folk’s debut self-titled album is set for release Sept. 22 on Shangri-La Music.

To check out a free download of the single “Say Please,” simply click over to Monsters Of Folk’s Web site and type the word “please” in the blank text box on the band’s homepage.

Photo: Owen Sweeney

Frawley Stadium, Wilmington, Del.

And in other Conor Oberst news, the singer/songwriter recently told Rolling Stone he isn’t going to hold onto the Bright Eyes moniker too much longer.

“It does feel like it needs to stop at some point. I’d like to clean it up, lock the door, say goodbye,” Oberst told Rolling Stone.

Saddle Creek Records President Robb Nansel told the Omaha World-Herald Oberst is “going to record stuff over the winter and in the spring” – and that will be the last Bright Eyes album.

“My guess, based on what he’s expressed to me, is that there will be one more Bright Eyes record and that will probably be it,” Nansel said. “I think that’s his line of thinking at this point — closing the chapter on that moniker. I think he feels like Bright Eyes has a certain association, for better or worse. I think he’s trying to distance himself a little bit from what that means to people.”

Click here for Monsters of Folk’s Web site.

Click here for the Omaha World-Herald article.