Arbor Labor Union
The Mill — Fri., May 27 at 9 p.m.
James McCartney
The Mill — Fri., Jun. 24 at 8 p.m.
The Mill has two exciting concert announcements, and tickets for both go on sale today.
First up are Georgia-based rockers Arbor Labor Union (formerly known as Pinecones). Signed to Sub Pop records last November, the band’s first album on that label (their second under this name), I Hear You, is due out May 13, just two weeks before their tour in support of it hits Iowa City. The insistent, heavy rock is a natural fit for the label, with its echoes of an early grunge aesthetic.
Arbor Labor Union styles its members as: Captain Brain Atoms Starship IHU Mind Leader/Omega Kindess One, Captain Ryan Evers Starship IHU Extratonal Grin Generator, Captain Bo Orr Starship IHU Jester Shaman/ Headless Guru and Captain Ben Salie Starship IHU Weathervane Mystic/Love Ambassador. They perform at The Mill on May 27, at 9 p.m. Tickets for the show are $8 in advance, and are on sale starting at noon today.
In June, The Mill welcomes James McCartney. Starting out in music in the late ’90s, he played on the solo albums of both of his parents (Paul and Linda) before dropping his first solo EP (Available Light) in 2010. His new full-length, The Blackberry Train, will be released May 6, and its first single, “Unicorn,” came out yesterday (Mar. 22).
His bouncy but atmospheric rock has a singular sound. McCartney told the Los Angeles Times that this album “definitely has a harder edge” than his 2013 Me, but the catchy pop hooks are still solidly built in.
McCartney’s U.S. tour in support of the new record kicks off on May 10. His stop at The Mill is on Fri., Jun. 24. Advance tickets, $15, are on sale now.
