LOS ANGELES, CA (Warner Bros. Records) - For a band that has engaged shadow puppets, interpretive dance, sword fighting, and jugglers to charm their audiences, it's not surprising that the Los Angeles folk-pop duo The Ditty Bops would choose an unorthodox method to promote their upcoming album "Moon Over the Freeway." On May 25th, the girls -
Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald - will hit the road for a three-month tour, traveling cross-country from Los Angeles to New York City solely by bicycle.
Along the way, bike enthusiasts Barrett and DeWald will stop in both big cities and small towns, and perform at theaters, music halls, bike stores, and farms to promote "Moon Over the Freeway," which will be made available for purchase at each show.
"We decided to do the tour this way to promote not only our album, but also cycling and cleaner air," says DeWald. "If we can ride our bikes across the country and play music, we hope others will be inspired to ride their bikes more often. It'll also be nice to move our bodies rather than sit in a mush pile in the back of a dirty van."
DeWald has ridden her bike everywhere since her car was totaled five years ago in an accident. Barrett has cycled since she was a child, but neither had ever ridden more than 50 miles at one time until recently. To prepare for their trek, the girls have been cycling 150 to 200 miles a week in the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains, rain or shine. "Mostly rain," says Barrett.
Because of the freewheeling style of the tour, only the dates listed below have been confirmed. However fans can visit the duo's website, www.dittybops.com, for day-to-day information and updates on their journey. In addition, several bicycle coalitions and advocacy groups will help promote group rides and provide links to the Ditty Bops website.
The Ditty Bops formed in 2003 and began to play around Los Angeles as a four-piece acoustic band with Barrett on mandolin, dulcimer, and washboard and DeWald on guitar and piano. The retro-flavored style of their music, which incorporates elements of Western swing, ragtime, gypsy-jazz, pop, and vaudeville-era musical theater, was beautifully captured on the duo's 2004 self-titled debut album for Warner Bros. Records, which was produced by Mitchell Froom (Suzanne Vega, Crowded House, Elvis Costello). Barrett says "Moon Over the Freeway" sounds more like their live band: "It's like Calamity Jane, Betty Boop, and Jessica Rabbit laughing in their rag top convertible as they drive through the mysterious streets of San Berdoo."
The Bops will ride through and play in the following cities: Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Grover Beach, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Winters, CA; Portland, Eugene, OR; Seattle, WA; Lake Tahoe, Reno, Fallon, Baker, NV; Steamboat Springs, Fort Collins, Denver, Frisco, Boulder, CO; Oberlin, OH; Lucas, Lawrence, KS; Boonville, Columbia, Kansas City, MO; Springfield, IL; Bloomington, Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, Madison, WI; Walhalla, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, MI; Toledo, Cleveland, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Washington, DC; Annapolis, MD; Philadelphia, PA; and New York City.
Confirmed appearances by The Ditty Bops are as follows:
May
23 Los Angeles, CA In-store/Amoeba Music
24 Los Angeles, CA KCRW radio
24 Los Angeles, CA The Derby
30 Monterey, CA Monterey Live
31 Santa Cruz, CA The Attic
June
3 San Francisco, CA Slim's
22 SLC, UT Kayo Gallery
July
8 Frisco, CO Tour de Fat
9 Boulder, CO E-Town, radio show
10 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Summer Concert
August
5 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk
8 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
12 Wallhalla, MI Michigan Women's Music Festival
17 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
September
23 Fort Collins, CO New Belgium Brewing Co.
30 Flagstaff, AZ Wheeler Park
