Photo by Tim Stanton.

Photo by Tim Stanton.

Steve Gunn’s tour with Kurt Vile beings tonight, May 7, in Los Angeles. Several shows are already sold out, but you need to see this pairing. Steve will be playing as an opening act–some shows with his crack Time Off band of Justin Tripp (bass) and John Truscinski (drums)–as well as handling guitar duties with Kurt’s band as a Violator. Do this, y’all.

You can pre-order Time Off here.

05/07/2013 Los Angeles, CA / The Echoplex with Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Fresh & Only’s
05/08/2013 San Francisco, CA / The Independent with Kurt Vile and the Violators
05/10/2013 Portland, OR / Doug Fir Lounge with Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Fresh & Only’s
05/11/2013 Vancouver, BC / The Biltmore with Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Fresh & Only’s
05/12/2013 Seattle, WA / Neumos with Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Fresh & Only’s
05/14/2013 Chicago, IL / Lincoln Hall with Kurt Vile and the Violators, Jessica Pratt
05/16/2013 New York, NY / Bowery Ballroom with Kurt Vile and the Violators, Angel Olsen
05/17/2013 Boston, MA / The Sinclair with Kurt Vile and the Violators, Angel Olsen
05/18/2013 Philadelphia, PA / Union Transfer with Kurt Vile and the Violators, Angel Olsen

Kurt Vile

Pitchfork recently streamed the lead Time Off album track “Water Wheel” here.

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The Fader posted the stream as well, and Emilie Friedlander had these kind words about Steve:

Though currently a member of Kurt Vile’s touring band, Steve Gunn is a compelling musical protagonist in his own right—partly for his tenure in groups like the Magic Markers, GHQ and the Gunn-Trucinski duo, but mostly for his guitar playing, which he studies with a diligence that feels charmingly old world. In the John Fahey-inspired, post-Jack Rose world of American-primitive-folk-meets-blues-meets-raga-meets-noise music, Gunn is quite simply the best, and he has a way of capping off an entire song’s worth of anecdotal finger-picking with the last-minute, bone-chilling, entry of his voice, hinting at a rare talent for songwriting without overstating it. “Water Wheel” is the sprawling, country-rock-inflected lead number on his upcoming Time Off album, which he recorded with drummer John Truscinski and bass player/guitarist Justin Tripp, and it’s exciting to hear him jump right in.

–  Emilie Friedlander, The Fader

Check out the Spring-themed mix Steve assembled for the UK website The Liminal here. It’s called “Don’t Puncture My Tranquillity.” ‘Nuff said.

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