For the sake of full disclosure, I should say that I have only been on tour, properly speaking, once before, with the fiercely Welsh indie pop group Joanna Gruesome and now-defunct punks Perfect Pussy. It was an appropriately debaucherous tour for a group making their first rounds of the US, for a band of best friends looking to show them the ropes, and for a writer acquaintance looking for an adventure. There was drama, there was drinking, and there was drama mixed with drinking. It was everything you'd want from a tour—and enough of that everything to tide me over for a long time.
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Yet somehow, three years after the fact, when the opportunity arose to sling merch for Vagabon, one of the most lauded and idiosyncratic new voices in indie rock, in exchange for a ride to Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, I found myself saying yes. Vagabon is the project of Laetitia Tamko, who writes powerful songs about feeling small and the fear of occupying space and renders them even more powerful with her arresting voice, an easily recognizable tenor. Part of the same Brooklyn scene as acts like Frankie Cosmos, Mitski, and Told Slant, Vagabon has quickly drawn accolades in the wake of her debut full-length LP, the relatable and confidence-inspiring Infinite Worlds.Compared with my expectations—which vacillated between the poles of the grimy punk houses I'd experienced in the past and the Almost Famous-sized fantasies of touring that permeate society—touring with Vagabon felt like touring with a bunch of goddamn adults. My body thanks them for the wholesome experience. I learned all about how a short tour became like summer camp, as well as how working and having fun and traveling and all that good stuff can actually exist harmoniously. We were in it for a good time, not a last time. Here's what happened.
Monday, July 10: Flywheel – Easthampton, Massachussetts
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The actual venue feels more like the community space it supports. Limited equipment but a prominently placed disco ball at the heart of the room gives it a sort of gymnasium school dance vibe. Most of the sold out show's attendees sat near the stage as soon as they were allowed in the room, remaining seated between bands as to not lose their spot. The bands Loone and Paper Bee open. Both from Greenfield, Massachusetts, the two projects are composed of the same members, who identify as trans and craft empathetic songs about the experience—Loone through the lens of indie rock examining loss and Paper Bee in the form of choral emo songs of acceptance. The frontperson of Paper Bee tells a story about their mother's reluctance to show them the Little Mermaid as a young child to avoid "thinking it's acceptable to give up your voice for a man—but what if the man is you?" For Vagabon the crowd remains silent. Banter is kept to a minimum, but her appreciation of, "Thank you for being attentive, that's really sick," feels legendary. I can't believe I get to do this for a whole week.We spend the night at a beautiful home in the woods of Amherst, seated on a cul-de-sac at the end of a dark drive, discussing Mount Eerie and the prolific songwriting of Phil Elvrum. His latest record details the loss of his wife to cancer, and we begin talking about illness, about miserable sounding music. The conversation is short and comfortable. The suburbs are silent, but it's one evening. On to the next.Read More: How Will DIY Communities Survive in America?
Read More: The Noisey Guide to Not Being a Shithole and Making Your Venue Inclusive
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Tuesday, July 11: Great Scott – Allston, Massachusetts
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Wednesday, July 12: The Haunt – Ithaca, NY
Thursday, July 13: Cattivo – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Friday, July 14: El Club – Detroit, Michigan
Saturday, July 15: Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, Illinois
Maria Sherman is a writer based in New York City, and she's available for your tour if you promise to eat healthy, too. Follow her on Twitter.