Last month, long-time indie rock favorite Ben Folds announced he would be releasing a memoir about journey as a left-of-field creative, titled A Dream About Lightning Bugs, on July 30. The North Carolina-native will also be kicking off a North American Summer/Fall tour at the end of July and has recently added a handful of special events along the trek to talk discuss and sign the new book.
On the first half of the tour, Folds co-headlines with '80s alt-rock outfit Violent Femmes. The jaunt kicks off on July 28 in Uncasville, Conn., with stops along the East Coast, including in Washington D.C. and New York, the latter of which is the first city slated for a book event. The two acts have their last show of the tour together on Aug. 16 in Kansas City, Mo., after which Folds will take things down under for four memoir chats in Australia.
He'll return stateside for a concert in Missoula, Mont. on Sept. 5, this time co-heading the remaining dates with your favorite funky '00s rockers, CAKE. The new tour squad will make their way to California a week later, stopping in Sacramento, San Francisco, Irvine and Los Angeles.
Folds will also be bringing the book experience to S.F. and L.A., on Sept. 12 and 16, respectively, with two more subsequent conversations scheduled for Dallas on Sept. 21 and D.C. on Oct. 1. That final talk will be held at the iconic Kennedy Center, where he is currently acting as the first-ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra and helps curate special performances, according to a new press release.
Last month, Folds spoke with Billboard about A Dream About Lightning Bugs, whose title comes from the joyful memory of chasing lighting bugs as a child growing up in the South. "I love albums, but boy are they a pain in the ass to make. They cost a lot of money, and I find them painful. I found it a lot less painful to write a book." He added that the underlying message is to find the ways to follow your heart:
"The point I try to make in the book is to really just follow the things that interest you. I try to justify the role of the artist as being that person who can see a particular thing, and it's your responsibility to share it. Because life is just so short. Once you've got clean water, a roof over your head, your kids are safe—just follow the things that glow."
Folds' most recent album is 2015's So There, a collaborative project with the yMusic Ensemble. You can find the complete schedule and ticketing info on his concert and book tour dates on his website. His memoir will be released in the U.S. on July 30; you can find more info and where to pre-order here.
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