“GWAR and NPR, they said it couldn’t be done!” In what may be the unlikeliest sentence of the month, GWAR visited NPR’s Washington, DC studio to perform a Tiny Desk Concert. If it sounds like something our friends at The Hard Times might’ve dreamed up, it kinda was. “GWAR asks NPR’s Tiny Desk Staff if They’re Ready to Get Their Assholes Ripped Open” was a headline on the fake punk/metal news site on February 15 but, as NPR staffer and resident metal fan Lars Gotrich points out, what they didn’t know is NPR had actually already been trying to make this happen.
It took a few pandemic years for it to actually come to fruition but here we are. “We’re actually a little nervous here,” Blöthar the Berserker said, “as it’s the home of Nina Totenberg and…” he was cut off by Balsac the Jaws of Death who added, “Terry Fricking Gross.” “Hey, don’t call people names,” Blöthar shot back, “you’re gross! Terry Gross is a national treasure!”
“We were worried, you know, ’cause lets face it, GWAR is a little bit lowbrow. Just a little, somebrow, maybe,” Blöthar continued, noting that to “boost our cultural profile” and add a little class to the proceedings they had invited famed conductor Wilhelm Fartwrangler to oversee their performance, before launching into their four-song Tiny Desk set that included “Sex Cow,” “I’ll Be Your Monster,” “Ratcatcher,” and “Phantom Limb.” Watch below.
GWAR will be on the road starting this weekend as part of Rob Zombie and Mudvayne‘s “The Psychotherapy Sessions” Tour that hits the NYC-area on July 28 Jones Beach with Coal Chamber, Nonpoint and Butcher Babies. They’ve also got a few headline dates and festival appearances. Check out GWAR’s full schedule below
GWAR – 2023 TOUR DATES
“The Psychotherapy Sessions” Tour
7/20 West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheater
7/21 Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater
7/23 Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
7/25 Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
7/26 Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
7/28 Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
7/29 Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
7/30 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
8/1 Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
8/2 Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
8/4 Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
8/5 Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
8/6 Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater
8/8 Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
8/9 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
8/10 Bonner Springs, KS – Azura Amphitheater
8/12 Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
8/13 The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/15 Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
8/16 Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater
8/17 Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater
8/19 Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
8/20 Reno, NV – Grand Theater at the Grand Sierra Resort
8/22 Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheater
8/23 Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
8/25 Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
8/26 Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
Headlining Shows
8/21 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory *
8/27 Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre +
8/28 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue +^
8/29 Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s +^
8/30 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant +^
9/1 San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center +^
* – w/ Nonpoint
+ – w/ Crobot
^ – w/ 200 Stab Wounds
Festival Appearances
9/2 Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma
9/3 Cookeville, TN – Muddy Roots Festival
10/26-27 Gainesville, FL – The Fest