Don't turn a Blind Eye to Blind Pilot

After their appearance on NPR's "Morning Edition" the word is out and the melancholic melodies of Portland Indie band Blind Pilot whose first tour stretched across counties from Vancouver to San Francisco on bicycles are resonating resplendently– and rightfully so.
You can catch a replay of the show at: http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3

Playing little towns that don't often get shows by "touring bands," Blind Pilot were able to share their brand of music with people who find themselves rather unfamiliar with the Indie music scene. Touring as a six-piece ensemble, and showcasing the talents of Israel Nebeker (vocals, guitar), Ryan Dobrowski (drums), Luke Ydstie (upright bass, backing vocals), Kati Claborn (banjo, dulcimer, backing vocals), Ian Krist (vibraphones), and Dave Jorgensen (keyboards, trumpet), Blind Pilot have just landed the support slot for the upcoming The Decemberists tour promoting their debut full-length album 3 Rounds and a Sound.

Willamette Week's Casey Jarman proclaimed, "Front man Israel Nebeker sounds like a less theatric version of James Mercer: every bit as sincere and captivating, with vocal control and style to spare. And this band has songs coming out of its ears: deep, clever guitar-driven tunes fleshed out with soaring horn arrangements. Listening to and thinking about these songs has kept me awake at night lately."

And according to website Decider Austin:

"Blind Pilot began as a duo that toured the West Coast on bikes, developing a batch of humble and solidly melodic songs for its recent album 3 Rounds And A Sound." Within the last year it’s expanded into a quartet (though some shows find the band filling out its guitar-banjo-drums sound even further with violins and xylophones) and begun picking up considerable buzz for songs like “Go On Say It,” which has some of the same distinctly Pacific Northwest mellow of regional progenitors like Death Cab For Cutie and Elliott Smith—which is to say it’s wistful, slightly melancholy, and destined to soundtrack more than a few heartbreaks."

Tour Dates:

4/07/09 - Mohawk - Austin, TX
4/09/09 - Plush - Tucson, AZ
4/10/09 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
4/11/09 - Spaceland - Los Angeles, CA
4/13/09 - Cafe Du Nord -San Francisco, CA
5/24/09 - Wilma Theater w/ The Decemberists - Missoula, MT
5/26/09 - Fillmore Auditorium w/ The Decemberists - Denver, CO
5/27/09 - Uptown Theater w/ The Decemberists - Kansas City, KS
5/29/09 - Riverside Theater w/ The Decemberists - Milwaukee, WI
5/31/09 - Pageant w/ The Decemberists - St Louis, MO
6/01/09 - Lifestyle Communities Pavillion w/ The Decemberists - Columbus, OH
6/03/09 - Tabernacle w/ The Decemberists - Atlanta, GA
6/04/09 - Memorial Auditorium w/ The Decemberists - Raleigh, NC
6/05/09 - The National w/ The Decemberists - Richmond, VA
7/18/09 - Edgefield Amphitheater w/ The Decemberists - Troutdale, OR
7/19/09 - Edgefield Amphitheater w/ The Decemberists - Troutdale, OR

Rumor has it they will be heading across the pond to open for headliners Counting Crows and The Hold Steady.