Northern Cali’s prog-rock heroes, Dredg have just wrapped up recording their fifth full-length release with none other than musician/producer Dan The Automator(Head Automatica, Gorillaz, Mars Volta) as they hit the road this week with Circa Survive, Animals As Leaders, and Codeseven for one of the more eclectic bills of the 2010 touring season. What started as a middle-school, musical hobby shared by Dredg guitarist Mark Engles and drummer Dino Campanella, eventually morphed into a full-time project with the addition of vocalist Gavin Hayes and bassist Drew Roulette in late 90’s. Since then, the band has released intriguing full-lengths that are often concept driven with vast visual expressions to accompany the densely layered and often indefinable music. Drawing from musical influences that range from Peter Gabriel to heavy metal and even electronic music, Dredg offer a definite break from the norm. The songs shift from traditional alternative rock signatures to ambient movements, incorporating a wide-array of non-traditional instruments from around the World. I have even heard Dredg jokingly referred to as Enya-core.
After being picked up by Interscope in 2001, the band re-released their first full-length album, Leitmotif on September 11, 2001. Leitmotif introduced the music world to Dredg’s unique blend of visual, conceptual, and auditory artistic expressions. The album would see Dredg tour with with popular, but god-awful, nu-metal acts for the next two years as the band has always had a somewhat difficult time finding complimentary tour mates, despite the fact that Dredg offer one of the most engaging and well-orchestrated live shows of any of their musical peers. Even if you find their recorded works leave something to be desired, I would still strongly advise you to catch these guys live. Dredg shows have always left me with a heavy feeling of contemplation for days after attending a live set. And much like the indefinable qualities of the band’s music, I couldn’t tell you why. Dredg performances are often refreshing as they work in instruments not common in the rock world, such as steel guitars, mandolins, and several horn instruments.
I remember catching Dredg in 2003 with the mighty Glassjaw for a Cleveland performance with a guest saxophone player that was absolutely mind-blowing. I was even more floored when singer Gavin Hayes informed us after the show that he had just met the sax player on the street the day of the show and asked him to hop in for the performance. Unpredictability is something of the norm with Dredg, and every performance is a unique experience worth every penny of admission. I am stoked to see Dredg playing with an engaging and eclectic lineup that includes Circa Survive and the guitar phenoms in Animals as Leaders who are also incredible live with a duel, 8-string guitar attack, complemented by a solo-drummer. “Rad,” is an understatement.
I am going to go ahead a call this a “DO NOT MISS” of 2010.
More info at: www.Dredg.com
DREDG 2010 Fall Tour With Circa Survive – Codeseven – Animals As Leaders:
Tue 10/19 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Wed 10/20 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Thu 10/21 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Fri 10/22 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
Sat 10/23 Ft. Lauderdale, Fl Revolution
Sun 10/24 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder
Tue 10/26 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Wed 10/27 Houston, TX House of Blues
Fri 10/29 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit
Sat 10/30 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit
Sun 10/31 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Tue 11/2 Mesa, AZ The Nile
Thu 11/4 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
Fri 11/5 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Sat 11/6 Hollywood, CA Avalon
Sun 11/7 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
Tue 11/9 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
Wed 11/10 Seattle, WA El Corazon
Thu 11/11 Boise, ID The Venue
Fri 11/12 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
Sat 11/13 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
Sun 11/14 Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club
Mon 11/15 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
Wed 11/17 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze on the West Bank
Thu 11/18 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Club
Fri 11/19 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Sat 11/20 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Sun 11/21 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Mon 11/22 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon
Tue 11/23 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Wed 11/24 Boston, MA House of Blues
Fri 11/26 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
Sat 11/27 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Sun 11/28 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Headlining shows:
Mon 11/30 Indianapolis, IN Earth House
Thu 12/2 Omaha, NE Waiting Room
Sun 12/5 Sparks, NV The Alley
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