New York avant-rock legends Swans – who first emerged from the ashes of no wave in the early ‘80s — have made four appearances at Union Transfer since reuniting in 2010 (Their very first gig back after over a decade was at our very own Trocadero Theatre.) However, the last time we saw the Michael Gira-led experimental rock outfit at the Eraserhood ballroom was all the way back in 2016. But they will be returning this Friday, April 13th, on the second date of their upcoming US tour, which kicks off the night before in DC and includes already-sold-out dates in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Last June Swans released The Beggar, their sixteenth studio album, courtesy of Mute and Young God Records (North America). The album was written and produced by Gira, with engineering done by Ingo Krauss at his Candy Bomber Studio in Berlin, and mastering done by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, also in Berlin. It features recent and former members of Swans (including the band’s entire touring lineup), Angels of Light (Gira’s indie folk group that existed during Swans’ hiatus and included many former Swans contributors), and musician, composer, producer, sound designer, and filmmaker Ben Frost.
Uncut wrote that The Beggar, “…delivers a ritualistic euphoria,” while The Guardian characterized the album as, “…dark and unsettling, purifying and beautiful.” Swans have been on the road with the album’s material since May of 2023 (prior to the record’s release), earning the kind of praise their live shows have become known for in their three previous decades of touring. Yorkshire Evening Post wrote, “I’ve never seen anything… that remotely compares to the experience of seeing Swans… Witnessing the famed avant-garde, experimental noise-manipulating band was as close to a cathartic experience from watching live music as one can get.”
Joining Michael Gira for these dates are a number of his most notable collaborators, including Kristof Hahn (a member from the late ‘80s to early ‘90s and core member since their reunion, who will also be the show’s opener), Larry Mullins (a touring member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who played with Swans in the late ‘90s, before becoming a main contributor of Angels of Light), Dana Schechter (one-half of Insect Ark and former core member of Angels of Light), Christopher Pravdica (core member since Swans’ reunion), and Phil Puleo (core member since the reunion and contributor to Angels of Light).
*Get your tickets here.
