Kele Okereke (photo: live4ever)
Kele Okereke of Bloc Party will be expanding his first U.S. tour in support of his solo debut, The Boxer, out on June 22nd on Glassnote Records. The tour will be presented by NYLON Magazine, as part of their annual NYLON Music Tour series, and will take Kele and his live band – including a keyboardist, a drummer, and a multi-instrumentalist – across the entire U.S. Live, The Boxer becomes an entirely new experience, anchored by Kele’s inimitable voice. Tickets for these shows will go on sale Saturday, June 5th.
The album’s first single, “Tenderoni,” which has been one of the spring’s most talked-about songs, is also now available exclusively for sale via Verizon’s digital sales store and phones until June 14th. “Tenderoni” is a template for The Boxer’s eclectic electronic euphoria — its driving percussion, squealing synths and bold, infectious chorus show us just how at home Kelesounds within a completely new sonic context.
Produced by XXXchange (Spank Rock), with additional mixing by Philippe Zdar (Phoenix), The Boxer sees the talented frontman pushing the boundaries of his own melodic sensibilities, boldly stepping out as a solo artist in his own right. With the release of their debut, Silent Alarm, in 2005, Bloc Party were one of the most important bands of 00’s, driven by Kele’s amazing voice and incredible songwriting. When the band decided to take a hiatus after five straight years of touring, Kele pushed on, finding himself drawn to an entirely new way of making music. The resulting album, The Boxer, is set to be one of the finest debuts of 2010.
Kele’s tour dates are:
7/23/10 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
7/24/10 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
7/25/10 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
7/27/10 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
7/29/10 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
7/30/10 Ottawa, ON @ Capitol Music Hall
7/31/10 Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
8/2/10 Boston, MA @ Middle East
8/3/10 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
8/6/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time at Voyeur
8/7/10 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
8/9/10 San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
8/10/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
8/12/10 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
8/13/10 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey