Silversun Pickups Tour Dates and Upcoming Concerts
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On tour
Yes
Followers
607,953
Category
Alt Rock, Alternative, Indie Rock, Art Rock, Indie
About Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups are an American alternative/indie rock band from Los Angeles, California that have diverse influences ranging from The Velvet Underground to shoegazing bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine to (critics have suggested) The Smashing Pumpkins.
The band consists of Brian Aubert (vocals/guitar), Nikki Monninger (vocals/bass), Christopher Guanlao (drums), and Joe Lester (keyboards). The band members are friends who had played together previously or in mutual friends' bands.
Silversun Pickups have been compared to The Smashing Pumpkins (possibly due in part to Brian Aubert's vocal style) and Shoegaze / Dream Pop bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Lush and Slowride, as well as other influences such as The Velvet Underground. Silversun Pickups claim they have been heavily influenced by Modest Mouse, as well as other lesser known acts.
Their first break came when a friend mailed a boombox demo to CMJ and they were accepted. They got their start in many of the most important L.A. clubs and began to draw a strong following upon the release of the Pikul EP. This culminated in frequent touring, including a co-headlining stint with Viva Voce.
Silversun Pickups’ sixth album Physical Thrills came together as a serendipitous accident during a dark time. The LA band began 2020 by touring in support of their record released the previous year, Widow’s Weeds. But the pandemic halted those plans, with the members including guitarist and singer Brian Aubert, bassist Nikki Monninger, drummer Christopher Guanlao, and keyboardist Joe Lester, finding themselves stuck at home. In that resting period, Aubert wasn’t focused on Silversun Pickups; instead, he channeled his energy into taking care of his son, Nico, while his wife Tracy worked.
But as much as his focus initially shifted from the band, he couldn’t escape the new melodies germinating in his head. “I would sneak off and start writing these songs, and I didn’t know what they’re for because I didn’t really think about Silversun on any level. I was just doing it to keep myself calm and keep myself company,” says Aubert. The songs were so different from what he’d previously written for Silversun Pickups that he initially thought he was writing a musical. There were “dream shanties,” gentler vocals, horror-inspired sounds, and other exciting new elements coming to mind.
The band finally was able to gather in person for a live-streamed acoustic performance on Halloween for The Dark Zone Network’s virtual music festival Queen Mary, and it was there that Aubert revealed the new material to his bandmates. They readily embraced the new direction—and so did producer Butch Vig. The band reunited with Vig, who first worked with Silversun Pickups on Widow’s Weeds, recording the record at the famed producer and Garbage member’s home.
When Aubert first reached out to Vig, he wasn’t sure if the band was making an EP or a full record; Widow’s Weeds was still fresh for Silversun Pickups. But once Aubert made plans to visit Vig and play him what he had, the music began pouring out. He immediately began recording with Vig, later having the rest of the band join.
Once the band began working on Physical Thrills together, they made some of Silversun Pickups’ most stunning songs yet. The record doesn’t depart drastically from the sound the band’s fans know and love, but rather enhances it with previously-unexplored fixtures at play.
Physical Thrills was colored by the pandemic, but isn’t meant to be solemn; instead, Aubert explores his own comfort in the temporary, newfound isolation. There’s a juxtaposition of playfulness with angst from having so much time to process untapped emotions. That’s something that comes through in the album’s instrumentation, too, with wide-ranging sounds that transform according to the weight of the lyrics.
There are tracks with shoegaze-infused distorted synths and guitar, like opener “Stillness (Way Beyond)”; bouncy, pop-tinged danceable tunes (“Empty Nest,” “Hereafter (Way After)”); pared-down ballads (“Alone On A Hill”); and a collection of “dream shanties,” as Aubert refers to them.
The titles of those shanties call back to “Dream At Tempo 119” off the band’s 2006 debut record, Carnavas, tying the band’s beginnings with the current, evolved iteration of Silversun Pickups. But, this time, the instrumentation matches the lyrics. Aubert forgoes the heavy guitars to instead create magical lullabies: “Dream At Tempo 050,” “Dream At Tempo 310,” and “Dream At Tempo 150.” Each carries a secret code in the title with numbers personal to Aubert.
With such an exploratory record, the band members felt free to traverse new ground. Guanlao, who usually shies away from fills on drums, took inspiration from The Beatles documentary Get Back, throwing some into Physical Thrills, influenced by Ringo Starr’s work on Let It Be. Whereas for Monninger, this record allowed her to showcase her vocals at the forefront more than in previous work. Joe also took a larger role in composition on this record, writing the piano part for “We Won’t Come Out,” which became the backbone for the song.
The making of Physical Thrills also allowed for whimsical moments, including Aubert creating a distinct tapping noise by incorporating the sound of drumsticks hitting Vig’s Grammy in “Hidden Moon,” and playfully pelting balloons at Monninger while she played “Hereafter (Way After)” on bass to create less tension.
While this record features such an eclectic mix of melodies, each song is interconnected with each other, meant to be experienced as a whole body of work. “All of our records are designed for people who want to listen to them all the way through and hopefully stick around with it,” says Aubert. “After a while, maybe you’ll catch on to the little things—not just the [pattern of] the dream songs, but maybe you’ll hear that, and you’ll hear a melody from the first song in the last song. There are crossover things happening.”
Lester says, “Physical Thrills is exactly the record that we wanted to make, which I’m really stoked about because sometimes you look back and think, ‘Well, that’s maybe not exactly how we would have done it’ when you go back and listen to it years later.’ But I feel really proud of this one. I think the songs that Nikki sings on are like the best ones we’ve done for her to sing on. The lyrics are better than they’ve ever been.”
Monninger adds, “We’ve been together for twenty-two years; it’s really interesting that we still love doing this. We know that we’re fortunate to still be together after all these years, seeking out the silver lining. I feel like we still have many more things to say, and we’re so happy with how this album turned out.”
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Genres
Alt Rock, Alternative, Indie Rock, Art Rock, Indie
Band members
joe lester: sounds, christopher guanlao: drums, nikki monninger: bass, brian aubert: guitar
Photos
What fans are saying
Anthony
The historic Aztec Theatre is a perfect setting to see SSPU! The crowd was hyped and the band seemed to appreciate that. Took a friend who was skeptical on what she might see live however she left a new fan. Highly recommended.
Aztec Theatre
San Antonio, TX
Mar 07, 2023
Steven
The Catalyst once again proves it can host the big boys, and wow did this show deliver. Staff were super friendly, sound was killer, lights were epic, and SSPU absolutely brought their A Game. Killer bad, legendary venue. Enough said.
The Catalyst
Santa Cruz, CA
Feb 11, 2024
Michael
The VIP ticket was so worth it. The entire band was so warm and welcoming to everyone. Playing 3 songs for us at soundcheck was an awesome experience. The show itself was surreal. Thank you Silversun Pickups!
Rams Head Live!
Baltimore, MD
Sep 15, 2024
Chloe
My favorite band. I’ve probably seen SP at least ten times over the years? First time at Tannahill’s and I’ll definitely be back. It was a nice size while still seeming intimate. Great set as always.
Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall
Fort Worth, TX
Oct 16, 2023
Tom
Writing the soundtrack to so many beautiful moments in ours and so many other’s lives’ !!
SSunP doesn’t disappoint EVER.
Even with Rowdy Texas dancers in the audience , they handled up and played on !!
House of Blues Houston
Houston, TX
Mar 08, 2023
Silversun Pickups Tour Cities
Frequently Asked Questions About Silversun Pickups
Concerts & Tour Date Information
Is Silversun Pickups on tour?
Yes, Silversun Pickups is currently on tour. If you’re interested in attending an upcoming
Silversun Pickups concert, make sure to grab your tickets in advance. The Silversun Pickups tour
is scheduled for 2 dates across 2 cities. Get
information on all upcoming tour dates and tickets for 2024-2025 with Hypebot.
How many upcoming tour dates is Silversun Pickups scheduled to play?
Silversun Pickups is scheduled to play 2 shows between 2024-2025. Buy
concert tickets to a nearby show through Hypebot.
When does the Silversun Pickups tour start?
Silversun Pickups’s tour starts Nov 09, 2024 and ends on Jan 10, 2025.
They will play 2 cities; their most recent concert was held in
Pensacola at Hunter Amphitheater and their next upcoming concert
will be in Pensacola at Hunter Amphitheater.
What venues is Silversun Pickups performing at?
As part of the Silversun Pickups tour, Silversun Pickups is scheduled to play across the following
venues and cities:
2024 Tour Dates:
Nov 09 - Pensacola,
FL @ Hunter Amphitheater
2025 Tour Dates:
Jan 10 - Madison,
WI @ The Sylvee