Kele Okereke of Bloc Party will be embarking on his first U.S. shows in support of his solo debut, The Boxer, out on June 22nd on Glassnote Records. Arriving with a full live band in tow, these shows will present The Boxer's textures in an entirely new light, in addition to showcasing Kele's incredible voice, which sounds bigger and better than ever. The tour will kick off at The Metro in Chicago on July 23rd.
Produced by XXXchange (Spank Rock, The Kills), with additional mixing by Philippe Zdar (responsible for Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix), The Boxer sees the talented frontman pushing the boundaries of his own melodic sensibilities, boldly stepping out as a solo artist in his own right.
With the release of their debut, Silent Alarm, in 2005, Bloc Party were one of the most important bands of 00's, driven by Kele's amazing voice and incredible songwriting. When the band decided to take a hiatus after five straight years of touring, Kele had originally intended to walk away from music for a year. But when downtime presented itself he found his creative impulses were too strong, and ended up booking himself some exploratory time in a recording studio on a whim. The resulting album, The Boxer, is set to be one of the finest debuts of 2010.
The record's first single, "Tenderoni," was unleashed to rave reviews on the internet last week. A song that coils and springs on the listener, it is a template for The Boxer's eclectic electronic euphoria --- its driving percussion, squealing synths and bold, infectious chorus show us just how at home Kele sounds within a completely new sonic context. Live, this record will take on new depths, creating what are destined to be some of the summer's most talked about live shows!
The dates are:
7/23/10 Chicago, IL @ The Metro
7/24/10 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
7/25/10 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
7/27/10 Detroit, MI @ Crofoot
7/29/10 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
7/30/10 Ottawa, ON @ TBA
7/31/10 Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
8/2/10 Boston, MA @ Royale
8/3/10 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
8/6/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
8/7/10 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
