By Aaron Beam (Red Fang),
#5 The Tavastia Club, Helsinki, Finland
We played there on the same tour as Moscow, and felt incredibly welcome. We had to borrow the local opener’s gear and it was challenging to say the least. But the in house monitor guy was a total wizard and had been dialing in a sound for me using plug ins and the board because he just had a feeling that I was going to blow up the amp I was borrowing. Lo and behold, the amp blew up (sorry!!) but it took all of 20 seconds for him to sort it out. I thought he had fixed the amp it sounded so close to what I had dialed in for myself!
#4 Plan B, Moscow, Russia
The layout of this place the first time we played it was so crazy. There was a tiny dressing room above the venue you could only access by walking up a bunch of scaffolding and gangplanks from the stage. One of the craziest shows we ever played happened here and was caught on video by Whitey McConnaughy.
#3 EJ’s, Portland, OR
Is this about venues we miss because of Covid or because the venues are just gone? This one falls into the latter category. It was my favorite venue in Portland from about 1994 to 1997. I cut my teeth playing shows there and saw so many amazing bands play there. I really miss that spot!
#2 The Showbox, Seattle, WA
It sounds great, it looks great, it has a ton of history, and it is run like a Swatch watch. They make you feel so comfortable you never want to leave! But actually you really need to go. Get outta here! It meant so much to me to be able to not just play The Showbox, but to actually sell it out blew my mother loving mind. I was physically born in Seattle, but my musical soul was also born there. The reason I moved to the Pacific Northwest was for late ’80s / early ’90s Sup Pop — Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Tad and Nirvana. To play on the same stage as Soundgarden is a dream come true. The theater is also perfect for live music — it’s got a gothic feel to it and it’s big but super-cozy and sounds amazing and you can see from almost anywhere. I love The Showbox.
#1 Pappy & Harriet’s, Pioneertown, CA
If you don’t already know, then I’m not sure the point in describing it. It’s one of the coolest venues to play in the world!!! We are lucky enough to have played there twice — outside for the Rolling Heavy van show, then inside for a club tour. The outdoor show felt about as close as we’ll ever get to playing one of the legendary desert generator shows. Inside was like the wild west. The town was built for shooting Hollywood westerns, so it looks and feels like you’re in an old movie, except there’s a bunch of dirtbags and loud amps and sweat and steak and beer and it’s low ceilings, breaking equipment. It’s like a wild west basement show. That place rules.
** Red Fang’s new album, Arrows, is out now on Relapse Records. Order LP, CD, cassette, and t-shirt combos (HERE). Rock with your eye sockets out!
Red Fang Tour Dates 2021
Sat, Aug 21 Psycho Las Vegas Festival 2021 Las Vegas, NV
Sun, Sep 26 Louder Than Life 2021 Louisville, KY
Fri, Oct 15 Sabertooth Micro Fest Tacoma, WA
Sat, Oct 16 Sabertooth Microfest PDX Portland, OR
Sun, Oct 17 Sessions Music Hall Eugene, OR
Sat, Oct 23 191 Toole Tucson, AZ
Mon, Oct 25 Granada Theater Dallas, TX
Tue, Oct 26 The Secret Group Houston, TX
Wed, Oct 27 Empire Control Room & Garage Austin, TX
Fri, Oct 29 Terminal West Atlanta, GA
Sat, Oct 30 Saturn Birmingham, AL
Sun, Oct 31 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN
Tue, Nov 2 Black Cat Washington City, DC
Wed, Nov 3 Underground Arts Philadelphia, PA
Thu, Nov 4 Warsaw Brooklyn, NY
Fri, Nov 5 Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
Sat, Nov 6 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA
Mon, Nov 8 Spirit Hall Pittsburgh, PA
Wed, Nov 10 El Club Detroit, MI
Thu, Nov 11 Metro Chicago, IL
Fri, Nov 12 Amsterdam Bar & Hall Saint Paul, MN
Sat, Nov 13 Majestic Theatre Madison, WI
Mon, Nov 15 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
Tue, Nov 16 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
Wed, Nov 17 Metro Music Hall Salt Lake City, UT
Thu, Nov 18 The Olympic Venue Boise, ID
Sat, Nov 20 Koot’s Anchorage, AK
