Grandaddy Soon to Embark on First North American Tour in 20 Years

In an exciting development for indie rock fans, the American band Grandaddy is embarking on its first North American tour in two decades. This tour, which is poised to be a significant event for fans of the genre, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the group’s acclaimed second album, The Sophtware Slump. Released in May 2000, this album solidified Grandaddy’s place in the indie rock landscape with its unique take on the intersection of humanity and technology. The album was created largely by frontman Jason Lytle using equipment he cheekily returned to the electronics store within the refund window, creating a legendary story around the album’s creation.

The tour is set to begin on September 11 at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, California, and conclude on October 18 at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Along the way, the band will perform across numerous major cities in the United States and Canada, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, and Brooklyn, among others. Each city will offer fans a chance to reconnect with the band in a live setting, something they haven’t been able to experience for years due to the group’s hiatus from touring.

Opening for Grandaddy are indie rock acts Pedro The Lion and Greg Freeman. Pedro The Lion will open most of the west coast dates, while Greg Freeman will take over the role as the tour progresses to the east. These acts bring their own style and presence, adding layers of depth to the anticipation surrounding the tour. For a few select shows, the opener is yet to be announced, leaving room for potential surprises.

Despite the lengthy break from touring, Grandaddy remains a constant figure in the music scene, largely due to their ongoing creative output. The band released its latest album, Blu Wav, in 2024, marking their first collection of new material since 2017’s Last Place. However, this release did not feature an associated tour because of Lytle’s well-known aversion to the touring lifestyle. The decision to tour now reflects a significant commitment to celebrating The Sophtware Slump, showcasing its enduring impact and relevance in the digital age. The album’s themes of technology’s growth and subsequent human displacement resonate even more powerfully today, underscoring its status as a prescient work of art.

The band has previously celebrated the album’s milestones; they marked its 20th anniversary in 2020 with a special reissue and even toured the UK in 2022 to honor its legacy. With the upcoming tour, Lytle and his bandmates—Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Tim Dryden, and Kevin Garcia—aim to connect once more with their North American fans through live performances. This promises a nostalgia-filled experience that encapsulates the band’s evolution and its headlining album’s journey through time.

Tickets for the tour are scheduled to go on sale to the general public on May 9, with earlier ticket access available through pre-sales, including an artist presale and a Live Nation exclusive. This conveys the immense expectation and planning that has gone into organizing what is sure to be a spectacular return for the band and its fans.

As the tour commences, Grandaddy’s celebration of The Sophtware Slump is not just a tribute to past successes but a demonstration of the album’s continued cultural relevance and the band’s undiminished creative drive. Fans old and new will get to experience live renditions of classics from the album, including tracks that once mused playfully yet insightfully on concepts like what we now recognize as “Google Earth.” As such, the tour promises to be a landmark event, not just a musical journey through Grandaddy’s illustrious past but also a celebration of how their artistic vision remains wonderfully forward-looking.

TOUR DATES:
09/11 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park #
09/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre #
09/13 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House #
09/14 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy + Harriet’s #
09/16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom #
09/18 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
09/20 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall #
10/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
10/09 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/10 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall *
10/11 – Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall *
10/13 – Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD *
10/14 – Boston, MA @ Royale *
10/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
10/17 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
10/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *

# = w/ Pedro The Lion
* = w/ Greg Freeman