Heavy metal juggernauts Mastodon and influential noise rock band Dinosaur Jr. have cancelled their headlining tour together due to a “critical situation of a member of the Mastodon family,” according to Pitchfork. This tour was announced back in April, and was supposed to begin in Alberta, Canada on September 1st.
“We are sorry to disappoint our fans and Mastodon’s, and thank you for understanding,” Dinosaur Jr. wrote in a statement posted on Twitter for their fans. This statement also stated that tickets and VIP upgrades purchased by fans will also be refunded due to this last minute cancellation.
Following this announcement, Dinosaur Jr. stated that they will be performing a short North American solo tour from September 10 to September 22. This tour will begin in Maquoketa, Iowa and will wrap up in Marengo Ohio, and will include stops in Toronto, Canada, Cleveland, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Mastodon finished up their co-headlining tour with Primus in July of this year, performing at various spots across the United States from May to July. During this tour the band’s drummer Brann Dailor joined Primus onstage to perform a surprise cover of Pete Gabriel’s “Intruder,” during a show in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Earlier this year the band won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for the track “Sultan’s Curse,” off the 2017 album Emperor of Sand. In April the band released further promotional material for the album, with a music video for the song “Clandestiny.”
That same month the band went to Washington D.C. to advocate for the Music Modernization Act, which is making its rounds through congress. This act is looking to restructure the current royalties system under the current US copyright law to account for streaming services and artistic ownership.
Dinosaur Jr. recently opened show for the Foo Fighters back in July during their second date in Boston, Massachusetts. Their front-man J. Mascis is currently working on a solo project entitled Elastic Days, which is set to be released in November of this year. A track entitled “See You At The Movies,” off the upcoming project was released earlier this month.
Update 9/4/2018:
The PRP reported that this cancellation was due to their longtime manager, Nick John, being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Dailor commented on the incident on Instagram, stating: “Help send all the power and love of the universe to our dear friend and manager Nick John. I don’t know where Mastodon would be without him.”
Check out the upcoming Dinosaur Jr. tour dates below:
09/10 – Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow
09/11 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
09/12 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
09/14 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre
09/15 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Elevation
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
09/18 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
09/19 – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
09/20 – Port Chester, NY @ Garcia’s
09/21 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/22 – Marengo, OH @ Dragon Saddle Day Festival
Photo credit: Owen Ela
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