Hands up—who wants to buy?!
"Hands up—who wants to buy?!"

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have announced the dates for their 2017 North American tour. A quick perusal of the itinerary reveals the glaring absence of a Seattle date, though there are Portland and Vancouver shows scheduled for June 21 and 22, respectively. There's also a conspicuous two-day gap in the band's itinerary between May 26 and May 29—which is around the time of Sasquatch!. Festival organizer Adam Zacks wouldn't say whether or not Nick Cave and company will be playing the Gorge Amphitheatre next Memorial Day weekend. He responded via email: "All the booking remains under wraps until we announce the full lineup." So, all we can do for now is deduce and dream that it will be so.

The Bad Seeds' latest album, the beautiful and somber Skeleton Tree, racked up a 95 on Metacritic's cumulative grading scale, which is very high, indeed. I've always been more of a Birthday Party fan than a Bad Seeds aficionado, so the latter always have struck me as an anticlimax after the delirious heights of the former. Still, Cave and his band—now expanded to an octet for live performances—are a classic example of formerly feral rockers aging gracefully. They would surely help boost attendance at Sasquatch! were they to get booked there. Judging by recent trends in music festivals, Sasquatch!—among many others—can use the help.

If you're looking to score tickets for shows in cities outside of Seattle, you can begin purchasing at 10 am on Friday, October 28. The press release promises, "Songs from the album will be brought to life... alongside other Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds classics and deep cuts."

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS 2017 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Friday, May 26 - Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre
Monday, May 29 - Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
Wednesday, May 31 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
Thursday, June 1 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
Saturday, June 3 - Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre
Monday, June 5 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
Wednesday, June 7 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Thursday, June 8 - Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol at Carnegie Music Hall
Saturday, June 10 - Boston, MA - Boch Center Wang Theatre
Tuesday, June 13 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
Wednesday, June 14 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
Friday, June 16 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
Sunday, June 18 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
Monday, June 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall
Wednesday, June 21 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Thursday, June 22 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Saturday, June 24 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
Monday, June 26 - San Diego, CA - Civic Theatre
Thursday, June 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre