AMON AMARTH TO RAPE AND PILLAGE THE U.S. WITH TWO SETS NIGHTLY

“Evening With” tours are those rarest of gems done by the rarest of bands; you’ve not only got to have a catalog of good songs worth spreading over two sets but you’ve got to have the fanbase that’ll back that up by coming to see you without any support bands in tow. The only bands I can recall in recent years having done “Evening With” tours are Dream Theater and Opeth… that’s some esteemed company right there. But you can add Amon Amarth to that list; according to a press release, Amon Amarth will embark on a tour this April — by which time our Amon Amarth Viking Beard contest will have just ended — simply dubbed “An Evening With Amarth.” The band will play their new album Surtur Rising in its entirety for the first set and a smattering of Amon Amarth favorites for the second set. Presumably there will be an encore written into the set, as is de rigeur these days… maybe even two! And presumably this format will allow the band to put together a killer stage production with plenty of Viking-inspired eye candy.

If you’d’ve asked me yesterday to make a short list of bands likely to put together an “Evening With” tour, Amon Amarth would not have been on that list. But I love this decision. It’s bold; not only does it say “We think our new album is great and worthy of playing in full” but it says “We think we’re one of the biggest metal bands in the world right now.” And are they wrong? Amon Amarth have been slogging it out over the course of a 13-year career spanning 8 albums. They’ve never over-saturated the U.S. with constant touring, taking all the right support slots with the very occasional headliner. They’ve never gone for the mainstream by trying to write songs for the radio. Instead they’ve always just done what Amon Amarth do best… which is being fucking Amon Amarth. There is no other band like them.

Dates after the jump.

4/14/2011 The Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL

4/15/2011 Station 4 – Saint Paul, MN

4/16/2011 Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS

4/17/2011 The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO

4/19/2011 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR

4/20/2011 Showbox Sodo – Seattle, WA

4/22/2011 The Regency – San Francisco, CA

4/23/2011 Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA

4/24/2011 House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA

4/25/2011 Nile Theatre – Mesa, AZ

4/27/2011 White Rabbit – San Antonio, TX

4/29/2011 Culture Room – Fort Lauderdale, FL

4/30/2011 Beacham Theatre – Orlando, FL

5/01/2011 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

5/02/2011 Jaxx – Springfield, VA

5/03/2011 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

5/05/2011 Best Buy Theater – New York, NY

5/06/2011 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA

5/07/2011 Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA