On November 15th, prog metal legend Devin Townsend debuted new songs from his album Empath with a brand new, full backing band! The tour is dubbed the Empath Europe Volume 1 tour with English prog metal band Haken.
Townsend's supergroup band features - Vocals/Guitar: Ché Aimee Dorval (Casualties Of Cool) Guitar: Mike Keneally (Dethklok) Ambient Guitars: Markus Reuter (Stick Men, Stick Men) Bass: Nathan Navarro Keyboards: Diego Tejeida (Haken) Drums: Morgan Ågren (Kaipa) Choir: Samantha Preis, Anne Preis, Arabella Pickford.
The Canadian rocker kicked off the tour in Paris, France at Salle Pleyel with a 16-song setlist that featured SIX live debut's off Empath, his 18th studio album which dropped back in March. New song "Spirits Will Collide" is performed during the encore AND acoustically, showing a softer side to the metal head.
"This will be without a net. No backing tracks, no clicks, a lot of room for improvisation, and every possible avenue through musicians and production of high calibre for new and interesting things to be possible each night," said Townsend, previously, about the tour.
The setlist also includes five cuts from the Devin Townsend Project, which was disbanded. You'll hear cuts like "Gato," "Heaven Send" and "Lucky Animals." He also throws in "Deadhead" by The Devin Townsend Band.
The encore kicks off with a Townsend rendition of "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps. At his gig in Hamburg, Germany last night (November 18), he also squeezed in another cover, where his bandmates Ågren and Keneally do "The Black Page #2" by Frank Zappa!
See the full setlist below:
Peep Townsend's European 2019 dates below, and then check out his 2020 dates for Empath Volume 2, which will also see support from Haken as well as The Contortionist.
Devin Townsend, Empath Europe Volume 1 Tour w/ Haken:
11/20 Turku, FIN – Logomo
11/21 Helsinki, FIN – Cirkus
11/23 Stockholm, SWE – Munchenbryggeriet
11/24 Oslo, NOR – Sentrum Scene
11/25 Copenhagen, DEN – Amager Bio
11/28 Berlin, GER – Astra
11/29 Wroclaw, POL – A2
11/30 Budapest, HUN – Barba Negra
12/02 Vienna, AUT – Simm City
12/03 Zurich, SWI – X-Tra
12/06 Dublin, IRE – Academy
12/07 Belfast, IRE – Academy
12/09 Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Galvanisers
12/10 Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
12/12 London, UK – Roundhouse
12/13 Nottingham, UK – Rock City
Devin Townsend 2020 Tour Dates with Haken and The Contortionist:
02/27 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
02/28 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
02/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
03/01 – Boston, MA @Paradise Rock Club
03/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
03/05 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
03/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
03/07 – Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live
03/09 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
03/10 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
03/12 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
03/13 – Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot Ballroom
03/14 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
03/15 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
03/16 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
03/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/20 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
03/21 – Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
03/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
03/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan
03/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
