Who? Jangly Britpop sensations the Kooks, fronted by reggae-tinged crooner Luke Pritchard. Already a giant smash in their native England, the quartet are quickly gaining traction in the U.S. with their recently released sophomore effort, Konk.
What? A 24-date tour, the Kooks’ largest outing in the states yet. After a kick-off show at Hamilton College Sept. 4, the quartet will stop through Toronto’s Virgin Festival, then hit a bevy of U.S. cities including New York, Washington, DC, Asbury Park, NJ, and Philadelphia before heading down south. After shows in Midwest outposts like St. Louis, Des Moines, and Chicago, the Kooks will wrap with a trip down West Coast from Seattle to Hollywood.
More on SPIN.com: >>Artist of the Day: The Kooks >>Review: The Kooks, ‘Konk’ (Astralwerks)
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Should I Go? Sure. Although the band has been touring the U.S. furiously behind their sophomore full-length Konk, the outfit’s much-buzzed-about live show is worth checking out, and validates their burgeoning buzz in the U.S., as well as their superstardom across the pond.
The Kooks tour dates:
9/4, Clinton, NY (The Annex at Hamilton College — students only) 9/5, Montreal, Quebec (Club Soda) 9/6, Toronto, Ontario (Virgin Festival) 9/8, Washington, DC (9.30 Club) 9/10, New York, NY (Rumsey Playfield Central Park Summerstage) 9/12, Asbury Park, NJ (Stone Pony) 9/15, Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory) 9/30, Baton Rouge, LA (Varsity Theatre) 10/2, Dallas, TX (House of Blues) 10/3, Houston, TX (Meridian) 10/4, Austin, TX (Antone’s) 10/5, Tulsa, OK (Cains Ballroom) 10/7, St. Louis, MO (The Pageant) 10/8, Des Moines, IA (People’s Court) 10/9, Madison, WI (Barrymore Theatre) 10/11, Chicago, IL (Riviera Theatre) 10/12, Cincinnati, OH (Bogarts) 10/14, Columbus, OH (Newport Music Hall) 10/21, Seattle, WA (Showbox SoDo) 10/22, Portland, OR (Crystal Ballroom) 10/24, Sacramento, CA (Empire) 10/25, San Francisco, CA (Warfield Theatre) 10/27, Anaheim, CA (House of Blues)10/28, Hollywood, CA (Hollywood Palladium)
