Antony & The Johnsons – Tour & New Album

I have to admit that after my year-long obsession with Hercules and Love Affair, it’s somewhat jarring to hear Antony Hegerty transition back to his traditional musical style. The two couldn’t really be much more different, after all. Still, Antony has one of the most distinctive voices around, so regardless of his surroundings he will always stand out. I’d say he’s an artist you either love or hate, despite how cliched that might sound. I’ve yet to meet anyone who hears him and is merely indifferent. It’s either been ‘Oooh I love it!’ or ‘Turn it off!’.

Being in the first camp, I was very happy to hear about his new album as Antony & The Johnsons, The Crying Light. It was released on Tuesday on Secretly Canadian (shows how behind the times I am). It is soon to be followed by a mostly east coast tour, with a few sprinkes of west coast dates. I won’t even bother complaining about the lack of an Arizona stop because I didn’t really expect one. Oh, but there, that was a complaint anyway!

Antony had this to offer on the background/origin of the title: “My new album “The Crying Light” is dedicated to the great dancer Kazuo Ohno. In performance I watched him cast a circle of light upon the stage, and step into that circle, and reveal the dreams and reveries of his heart. He seemed to dance in the eye of something mysterious and creative; with every gesture he embodied the child and the feminine divine. He’s kind of like my art parent.” Given Antony’s somewhat ambiguous sexuality, I can’t imagine there’d be a much more fitting inspiration for him. Oh, and I should mention the impressive fact that Ohno is now 102.

The only free-and-clear mp3 available is ‘Another World’, though I have to admit ‘Epilepsy is Dancing’ is my favorite track so far. That shouldn’t be taken as a slight against ‘Another World’, though. It’s excellent.

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Antony & The Johnsons – Another World

TOURDATES:
02/02: Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
02/03: Washington, DC @ Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
02/04: Columbus, OH @ Southern Theatre
02/07: Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
02/08: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
02/12: Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
02/13: Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
02/14: Minneapolis, MN @ Pantages Theatre
02/17: Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
02/19: New York, NY @ Town Hall
02/20: New York, NY @ Town Hall
02/22: Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center
02/24: San Francisco, CA @ Nob Hill Masonic Center
02/27: Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
02/28: Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre

Tags: antony & the johnsons, Tour Dates