Neko Case tour features two dates with New Pornographers

Alternative country rocker Neko Case has announced a 22-date U.S. tour to span the late summer and early fall. The singer-songwriter kicks off her solo dates on August 25 at The Rialto in Tuscon, AZ, and wraps on September 28 at the ACL Festival in Austin, TX.

The tour weaves through the Mid West with a few West Coast and Canadian performances thrown in the mix. On the six-week trek, Case will have a chance to exhibit her solo work (with the backing band Her Boyfriends), as well as her contributions to indie rock band The New Pornographers.

The rocker has scheduled two-night performances in Vancouver, BC, and Chicago, IL. On the second night in both cities, the complete line-up of The New Pornographers will join Case to perform material from the band’s four albums, including the critically-acclaimed 2007 release “Challengers.” These full-band performances, scheduled for September 1 and September 21, will not feature any of Case’s solo work.

Over the course of her career, Case has recorded with various bands, usually only for a year before moving on. She made her solo debut in 1997 with “The Virginian,” and has since produced six more solo albums, including “Live from Austin, TX” in 2007. Her next studio effort, “Middle Cyclone,” has a March 2009 release date.

The Canadian supergroup The New Pornographers formed in 2000 and has recorded four full-length studio albums. Founder Carl Newman does most of the songwriting for the eight-man band. After a spring 2008 tour of the U.S. and Canada in support of “Challengers,” the group had to cancel their European tour in July due to “personal reasons.”

The New Pornographers apologized in a post on their Web site, “Sorry that sounds generic, but it’s sincere. We most definitely do not like having to cancel shows, and were very excited about returning to Europe.”

Neko Case itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)

* New Pornographers show