Sage Francis announces U.S. summer tour dates

Rapper/Poet SAGE FRANCIS Sets U.S. Summer Dates with Buck 65, Alias and Buddy Wakefield

Forthcoming Album Human The Death Dance Deemed His Most Personal To Date

Sage Francis world renowned rapper, poet, activist, humorist and cultural provocateur will hit the road this summer in support of his hotly-anticipated sophomore Epitaph release Human The Death Dance (May 8). Launching with a pair of dates in New York at the Bowery Ballroom on May 25th and 26th, Francis and his live band will headline a seven-week U.S. trek with support acts Buck 65, Alias and Buddy Wakefield.

The Providence, Rhode Island-bred Sage Francis goes deep on his fourth solo album overall, airing out the trials, misdeeds and the hopes of the only person he can really trust: himself. Bolstered by the many facets of his complex persona, the non-conformist Francis soars beyond his acclaimed back catalog by bringing humor, anger, and poetic passion to HTDD.

From his dark, revelatory Going Back To Rehab, to his reflection on the importance of hip-hop in his life since age 8 on Growing Pains and the revenge fantasy Clickety Clack (which was written in the hours after he was robbed in Amsterdam), Francis proves he just may be the best lyricist not just of his genre, but of his generation.

Ranging from 9-to-5 cubicle madness, addictions to sex, and relationship survival, Francis delves into very real issues with aplomb. These songs aren't about finger pointing, Francis explains in the liner notes to Human The Death Dance. I'm obviously the X-factor whose poor track record speaks volumes above my music, but who says I can't put my excuses into song form?

The follow up to his polemic, political Epitaph entry, A Healthy Distrust finds Francis alive with his most personal and deeply moving material to date. Less the angry young man of yore than the confident, established adult artist pushing the boundaries of hip-hop he has become, Sage Francis is in top form.

Here are Sage Francis upcoming tour dates:

05-23 Middle East, Boston, MA
05-24 Middle East, Boston, MA
05-25 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
05-26 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
05-27 Crazy Donkey, Long Island, NY
05-29 Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
05-30 Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
05-31 Rock and Roll Hotel Theater, Washington, DC
06-01 Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC
06-02 Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
06-04 Firestone, Orlando, FL
06-06 House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
06-07 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
06-08 Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
06-09 Emos, Austin, TX
06-11 Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
06-12 Clubhouse, Phoenix, AZ
06-13 Congress Hotel, Tucson, AZ
06-15 Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA
06-16 Glass House, Pomona, CA
06-17 Soma, San Diego, CA
06-19 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
06-20 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
06-22 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
06-23 Showbox Showroom, Seattle, WA
06-24 Night Light Theater, Bellingham, WA
06-25 Pavillion, Bend, OR
06-27 The Venue, Boise, ID
06-28 In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
06-29 Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
06-30 Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
07-02 Sokol Hall, Omaha, NE
07-03 Picadero, Iowa City, IA
07-05 First Ave, Minneapolis, MN
07-06 The Abbey, Chicago, IL
07-07 The Abbey, Chicago, IL
07-09 Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI
07-10 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
07-11 Mr. Smalls, Pittsburgh, PA
07-12 Lupo's, Providence, RI