Beck dropped a surprise single yesterday, and it lands exactly the way his best work always does: quietly, beautifully, and with serious emotional weight. “Ride Lonesome” is out now digitally, produced by Beck and mixed by Nigel Godrich, and it reaches directly back to the sonic territory of ‘Morning Phase’ and ‘Sea Change,’ two of the most celebrated albums of his career. Several musicians who played on those records are on this one too.
From the opening acoustic guitar to the final chorus, “Ride Lonesome” carries the kind of haunting, open-air atmosphere that made ‘Morning Phase’ an Album of the Year GRAMMY winner in 2015. It’s the first new original composition Beck has unveiled in this direction in years, and it signals something larger taking shape. This isn’t a standalone release. It’s a statement of intent about where he’s headed next.
Today Beck follows the single with the announcement of the Ride Lonesome Tour, a 25-date North American run hitting theaters and amphitheaters from Vancouver to Nashville. The routing is exceptional: Red Rocks, the Greek Theatre in LA, the Santa Barbara Bowl, two nights each at The Masonic in San Francisco, Massey Hall in Toronto, and the Brooklyn Paramount. These are rooms that suit this music perfectly, intimate enough to let it breathe and iconic enough to give it the setting it deserves.
The tour kicks off September 16 at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre and closes October 31 at The Truth in Nashville. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 24 at 10am local time at beck.com. Citi cardmembers have access to presale tickets now through Thursday, April 23 at 10pm local time via the Citi Entertainment program.
Beck has eight GRAMMYs and a catalog that has never stayed still. “Ride Lonesome” suggests the next chapter draws from his deepest creative well, and the tour is built to deliver it properly, night after night, in rooms where every note counts.
Beck: Ride Lonesome Tour Dates:
September 16 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
September 18 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle
September 19 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
September 22 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
September 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
September 25 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
September 26 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
October 1 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
October 3 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
October 4 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
October 6 – Milwaukee, WI – Landmark Credit Union Live
October 7 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
October 9 – Chicago, IL – The Auditorium
October 12 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
October 14 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
October 15 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
October 17 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
October 18 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark
October 22 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
October 23 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
October 25 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
October 27 – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
October 28 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
October 30 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
October 31 – Nashville, TN – The Truth