Harper Simon has extended his current North American tour with 11 additional west coast dates including a special solo appearance at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles opening for legendary Beach Boy Brian Wilson. The December 6th performance is part of the "West Coast Left Coast" series, which plans on "celebrating the unique spirit of California's creative renegades."Harper's touring act reflects his passion for musicianship and dedication to bringing a top-notch musical experience to his audience. Much like the impressive collection of artists that appear on his self-titled record, Harper Simon's morphing live band -- Harper Simon and Band (electric) -- consists of some of today's most talented players.
On these upcoming west coast dates, the line-up for Harper Simon and Band (electric) will be no exception. Money Mark, Farmer Dave Scher and The Chapin Sisters join an already impressive live band that features bass player Erik Paparazzi (Cat Power), drummer Russell Simins (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), and guitarist Mike Bloom (The Elected).
Perhaps best known for his work with The Beastie Boys and Beck, Money Mark will bring his cutting-edge keyboard playing to the party.
Multi-instrumentalist Farmer Dave Scher (Beachwood Sparks, Jenny Lewis) will bring his distinctive California vibes and The Chapin Sisters their beautiful harmonies.
An American folk pop trio, The Chapin Sisters are made up of three sisters, Abigail and Lily Chapin and Jessica Craven. Abigail and Lily will open the shows and they'll also join Harper and Band during the main set.
Harper Simon's brand new, self-titled album is in stores now (Tulsi/Vagrant Records) and available on iTunes and Amazon. Harper Simon has recently performed songs from his new album on the Late Show with David Letterman & Jimmy Kimmel Live and has been receiving praise from the likes of NPR, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, WXPN and more.
For his first album, Harper Simon assembled a line-up of extraordinarily talented musicians, both established and contemporary including Charlie McCoy, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Gene Chrisman, Fred Carter Jr., Mike Leech, Steve Gadd, Steve Nieve, and Marc Ribot, as well as Inara George (the Bird and the Bee) and Petra Haden to help him realize his vision of a record that pays homage to the classic LP of the '60s and '70s.
Stay tuned for more information and additional dates:
U.S. Tour Dates in full:
*Previously announced tour dates
11/ 24/09 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center *
12/6/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall
12/7/09 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
12/9/09 San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord
12/10/09 Arcata, CA @ Humboldt Brews
12/11/09 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
12/12/09 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
12/13/09 Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo House of Music
12/14/09 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
12/16/09 Brookdale, CA @ Historic Brookdale Lodge
12/17/09 Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
12/18/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg