Backyard Tire Fire Incoming!

Red hot Midwest band hits road, drops load.

By Fred Mills

Backyard Tire Fire’s new album The Places We Lived drops Aug. 26 via our good friends at Hyena, and prior to that the Bloomington, Illinois-based combo will hit the road for a Midwest tour. Bloodshot’s Ha Ha Tonka will handle opening duties, and then later this year the band will go out on tour as an opener itself, for Reverend Horton Heat.

Here’s the scoop from Hyena:

Distinguished by a rare combination of workingman authenticity and indie-rock eccentricity, The Places We Lived is defiantly contemporary, while remaining true to its Midwestern roots. It's a collection spiked with the truth-telling salt of Hank Williams, the beautiful melancholy of vintage Tom Waits and the pop smarts of a Midwest Big Star. On songs like "How In The Hell Did You Get Back Here," "Shoulda Shut It" and "Rainy Day," Backyard Tire Fire balance pointed songwriting with visceral performances and intriguing studio production. The Places We Lived follows the band's 2007 studio effort, Vagabonds and Hooligans, a pivotal release that found the group popping up on numerous tastemaker blogs and year-end "best of" lists. They'd go on to play over 200 dates last year, including opening slots and co-bills with Jason Isbell, Clutch, Lynyrd Skynyrd and William Elliott Whitmore among others. 

Backyard Tire Fire Tour Dates:

June 30 / Summerfest / Milwaukee, WI
July 3 / Naperville Ribfest / Naperville, IL
July 18 / Ravenswood  Festival / Chicago, IL
July 19 / Donoroo Festival / St. Louis, MO
July 27 / Forecastle Festival / Louisville, KY
August 1 / Dunegrass Festival / Empire, MI
August 3 / Brown Baer / Elkhart Lake, WI

August 22 & 23 / Paulie's / Bloomington, IL
September 5 / Metro / Chicago, IL
September 10 / Picador / Iowa City, IA
September 11 / The Rave Bar / Milwaukee, WI
September 12 / The Annex / Madison, WI
September 13 / 7th St. Entry / Minneapolis, MN
September 17 / TBD / Columbia, MO
September 18 / Record Bar / Kansas City, MO
September 19 / Josie's / Emporia, KS

September 20 / Lucas School House / St. Louis, MO
September 24 /  Grog Shop / Cleveland, OH
September 25 / The Basement / Columbus, OH
September 26 / Spin Nightclub / Indianapolis, IN (Sponsored by My Old Kentucky Blog)
September 27 / Southgate House / Newport, KY
December 3 / Mercy Lounge / Nashville, TN (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 6 / Majestic Theater / Detroit, MI (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 7 / Intersection / Grand Rapids, MI (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 8 / Oneida Casino / Green Bay, WI (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 10 / Ottos / Dekalb, IL (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 11 / Peoples Court / Des Moines, IA (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 12 / Cotillion Ballroom / Wichita, KS (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)
December 13 / Cains Ballroom / Tulsa, OK (w/ Reverend Horton Heat)

[Photo Credit: Eric Schwab]