Altered Zones

I always thought I'd see the end of the world before I'd see The Residents play live. 2012 marks 40 prolific years and more than 60 albums of music made by the iconic, notoriously guarded band. In celebration of this, The Residents will be embarking on their 2 month North American tour dubbed Taking Light. Their conceptual, avant guarde approach to music and DIY sensibility has influenced generations of musicians like Devo, Tuxedo Moon, and the late Captain Beefheart to push the envelope of pop music just a little bit further. Take a listen to an old favorite off of their 1980 album, Commercial:

MP3: The Residents: "Moisture" (1980)

The group, going by the names Randy, Chuck, and Bob, will be performing pieces from Randy's Ghost Stories, a collection of 8 compositions released last year on DVD. Each performance will have three pieces, the first about the story of a mysterious skeleton baby in a remote desert cottage, the last with another story involving a woman and her invisible twin sister, and the second changing each show. Check for tour dates in your town.

03-15 Mexico City, Mexico - Lunario del Auditorio Nacional 
03-17 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom 
03-18 Seattle, WA - Neumo's 
03-19 Vancouver, British Colombia - Rickshaw Theater
03-21 Edmonton, Alberta - Myer Horowitz Theater
03-22 Calgary, Alberta Uptown Theater - 
03-24 Winnipeg, MN - West End Cultural Center
03-25 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
03-26 Chicago, IL - Museum of Contemporary Art
03-28 Toronto, Ontario - The Mod Club
03-29 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda
03-30 Boston, MA - Somerville Theater
03-31 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
04-01 Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live 
04-04 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
04-05 New Orleans, LA -  Republic New Orleans
04-06 Austin, TX - Mohawk
04-09 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater
04-15 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's
04-16 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s
05-14 London, England - Mute Festival

They'll be traveling with rare merch like a CD of instrumental music titled Dolar Generar, plus their latest album, Lonely Teenager, featuring new versions of fan favorites "Lizard Lady," "Boxes of Armageddon," and "The Unseen Sister."