The itinerary is a bit skimpy so far, but the thought of seeing Jack White hit the stage for a full set as a solo artist just might have us rethinking all May/June travel plans — not to mention it seems likely more dates are on the way. For now, here’s what some can look forward to: a pair of U.S. festival dates and a London gig one month later at BBC Radio 1′s Hackney Weekend. As for our fellow Stateside friends, here’s hoping you’re in the Alabama or Washington state region.
Jack White Solo Tour Dates (as of March 19)
May
15 – Nashville, TN | Ryman
16 – Nashville, TN | Ryman
18 – Gulf Shores, AL | Hangout Fest
19 – Asheville, NC | Orange Peel
21 – New York, NY | Roseland
22 – New York, NY | Roseland
24 – Detroit, MI | Scottish Rite Theater
26 – Quincy, WA | Sasquatch! Fest
27 – Vancouver, BC | Queen Elizabeth Theatre
28 – Eugene, OR | Silva Concert Hall at Hult Center for the Performing Arts
30 – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern
31 – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern
June
22 – London, England | Hammersmith Apollo
23-24 – London, England | Radio 1′s Hackney Weekend
25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands | Heineken Music Hall
26 – Berlin, Germany | Tempodrom
27 – Cologne, Germany | E-Werk
29 – Werchter, Belgium | Rock Werchter
July
01 – Belfort, France | Le Eurokeennes
02 – Paris, FR | L’Olympia
05 – Hamburg, DE | Docks
27-29 – Niigata, JP | Fuji Rock Fest
We’ll update when/if new stops on the Third Man train are added, but in the meantime, you can join us by spinning Jack’s new single “Love Interruption” once again thataway. And for those who caught a glimpse at its promising B-side, “Machine Gun Silhouette,” you’re probably ready to pick up both cuts for turntable consumption here.
Counting Crows return this spring sans major label for their first full-length release in four years. Following up 2008’s Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings will be a collection of covers to tide fans over until an LP of original tunes arrives. While Underwater Sunshine will hit stores on April 10 for a proper release, Adam Duritz and Co. revealed along with this week’s announcement that they plan to stream the 15-track set on Spotify well in advance. In fact, you won’t even need to wait for that to-be-announced date to get a taste of what’s to come, as their cover of Tender Mercies’ “Mercy” is available to download in exchange for an e-mail address below. (As any fan could tell you, Tender Mercies is a band that features the Crows’ own Dan Vickrey and Jim Bogios, among others.)
Josh Ritter — our favorite Bruce Springsteen-