Grizzly Bear

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Live Dates

Upcoming Dates

2010 Sep 18 Hollywood, CA

Hollywood Bowl (w/ Phoenix and Girls)

Tickets →

Past Dates

2010 Aug 12 New York, NY

The Beach @ Governors Island (w/ Gang Gang Dance and The Walkmen)

 
Aug 07 Chicago, IL

Lollapalooza (Grant Park)

 
Jul 30 Woodford, Australia

Splendour in the Grass (Queensland)
On sale May 6th

 
Jul 27 Melbourne, Australia

Palais (w/ Here We Go Magic and Kid Sam)

 
Jul 25 Sydney, Australia

Enmore (w/ Here We Go Magic and Kid Sam)

 
Jul 24 Sydney, Australia

Enmore Theatre (w/ Here We Go Magic and Kid Sam)

 
Jul 18 Southwold (Suffolk), UK

Latitude Festival (The Word Arena)

 
Jul 03 Oxford, ME

The Nateva Music and Arts Festival @ The Oxford Fairgrounds

 
Jun 29 Paris, France

L’Olympia (w/ Dirty Projectors)

 
Jun 28 London, UK

Serpentine Sessions @ Hyde Park
Doors 6:00
Memoryhouse 6:45–7:05
Magic Arm 7:10–7:30
Efterklang 7:35–8:15
Here We Go Magic 8:20–8:40
Grizzly Bear 8:45–10:00

 
Jun 27 Pilton, UK

Glastonbury Festival (Other Stage)

 
Jun 25 Cork, Ireland

Live at the Marquee (w/ Midlake and Camera Obscura)

 
Jun 20 Brooklyn, NY

Williamsburg Waterfront @ East River State Park (w/Band of Horses and Karen Elson)

 
May 29 Barcelona, Spain

Primavera Sound (Parc del Fòrum)

 
May 27 Porto, Portugal

Coliseu do Porto (w/ Cibelle)

 
May 26 Lisbon, Portugal

Coliseu dos Recreios (w/ Cibelle)

 
Apr 27 Carlisle, PA

Dickinson College

 
Apr 16 Indio, CA

Coachella

 
Mar 14 London, UK

Roundhouse

 
Mar 13 London, UK

Roundhouse (w/ Beach House)

 
Mar 12 Coventry, UK

Warwick Arts Centre (w/ Beach House

 
Mar 11 Brighton, UK

Corn Exchange (w/ Beach House

 
Mar 09 Edinburgh, UK

The Queen’s Hall (w/ Beach House

 
Mar 08 Gateshead, UK

The Sage (w/ Beach House

 
Jan 14 Sydney, Australia

Recital Hall

 
Jan 13 Sydney, Australia

Sydney Festival [Beck's Festival Bar] (w/ The Middle East)

 
Jan 12 Sydney, Australia

Sydney Festival [City Recital Hall]

 
Jan 11 Sydney, Australia

Sydney Festival [City Recital Hall]

 
Jan 09 Busselton, Australia

Southbound Festival

 
Jan 08 Perth, Australia

Fly by Night

 
Jan 07 Brisbane, Australia

Sunset Sounds Festival

 
Jan 05 Melbourne, Australia

Corner Hotel (w/ The Middle East)

 
Jan 04 Melbourne, Australia

Corner Hotel (w/ The Middle East)

 
2010 (34) shows 2009 (87) shows 2008 (25) shows 2007 (87) shows 2006 (43) shows
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About Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear released Yellow House in 2006. It was a slow, steady and stunning ride—boundless in scope and elegance. Given the album's otherworldly charm and staying power, it's hard to believe three years have gone by.

That might seem like a long time. But given Grizzly Bear's hectic touring schedule, including stints with Radiohead, TV On The Radio and Feist—as well as several performances during a five-night tribute to Paul Simon at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a co-headlining show with the L.A. Philharmonic, and the release of Friend, a 10-song EP of re-recorded and re-worked songs, collaborations and covers—all of this seems very reasonable. They've been busy.

But about a year ago, singer/songwriter Ed Droste, drummer Christopher Bear, bassist Chris Taylor and singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen —whose other band, Department of Eagles, released the sublime In Ear Park last fall—began passing demos around and working together creatively in different pairs and permutations. A few months later, blessed with producer/engineer Chris Taylor's willingness to transport his recording equipment, they began the recording process for Veckatimest, which would unfold over the next six months in three very singular locations. And in many ways, it is the recording process that reveals this record—each space catalyzing different interactions, inspirations, and ultimately, songs.

In July, the band spent three weeks at the Glen Tonche house in upstate New York. The beauty, mystery and surrealistic feel to the estate made anything seem do-able, possible and even magical. Though still finding their feet, much of the album's groundwork was laid there. After breaking briefly for the Radiohead tour in August, the band convened at a house on Cape Cod (graciously provided by Droste's grandmother) where they re-addressed and solidified the compositions they'd started at Glen Tonche. Lastly, Grizzly Bear came home, to a church in NYC, to fine-tune and complete the album—named Veckatimest, after a tiny, uninhabited island on Cape Cod that the band visited and was inspired by, particularly liking its Native American name. Following initial mixes by Chris Taylor, the band brought Gareth Jones (Interpol, Liars) over from England for a final mixing session with Taylor. The album was then mastered by Greg Calbi. Artist William O'Brien created Veckatimest's colorful, hand drawn artwork—a perfect compliment to the album's enigmatic title.

There is an unbelievable clarity of sound and vision to Veckatimest: vocals (a duty now shared by all band members) are sharper and more complex, arrangements are tighter, production is more venturous and lyrics more affecting. Having opened the creative dialogue at such an early stage, Grizzly Bear was able to realize these 12 songs together as a band, making it their most collaboratively compositional album to date. Taylor's artistry as a producer and engineer has only gotten stronger, both Rossen and Droste's conviction as singers and lyricists has swelled, and Bear's authority behind the drums is striking.

This yielded an unexpected mix of material that feels more confidant, mature, focused—and most of all, dynamic. From songs like "Dory" (a gracefully psychedelic, ever-evolving work),"Ready, Able" (a synth-y opus, and one of four songs that boasts string arrangements by composer Nico Muhly) and "Foreground" (a plaintive, vocal-driven send-off, and one of two songs to feature choral arrangements also by Muhly) to more resounding pop songs like "Two Weeks" (an other-worldly doo wop featuring backing vocals from Beach House's Victoria LeGrand) and "While You Wait For the Others" (a triumphant and melodically cacophonous pop masterpiece), Veckatimest is an album of the highest highs and lowest lows—an unbelievably diverse collection of songs that celebrates the strength of each band member, and the power of the whole. It was well worth the wait.

Photos of Grizzly Bear

  • Press photo of Grizzly Bear Dwnld hi-res JPG ↓
  • Press photo of Grizzly Bear Dwnld hi-res JPG ↓
  • Press photo of Grizzly Bear Dwnld hi-res JPG ↓
Photos by Tom Hines.
Art by William O'Brien. Photos by Tom Hines.