The legendary riff lords have released their seventh full-length album, ‘Flickering Resonance,’ courtesy of Run for Cover Records on May 16th, 2025. To support the record, Pelican accepted an invitation from their long-time friends, Russian Circles, for a tour that would be quite special for all involved. Pelican would play seventeen shows in twenty-one days throughout the Midwest and West Coast, some places that they haven’t visited in quite some time.
Then in July, they would set out on a shorter ten-day headlining run, taking Porcelain with them throughout the Northeast, skimming through Canada, and curving down through the Midwest. Geoff Rickly of Thursday would come out on the first day in Cleveland, OH, to add vocals to the song “Cascading Crescent.” Allen Epley of The Life and Times/Shiner would also make an appearance on the last date in Chicago, IL to perform vocals on “The Cliff” – the second time ever this song would be performed with him.
We drove through a dust storm, up and down curving slushy mountain passes, and battled constant wind gusts that rocked the van. Only stopping for coffee. …and record shopping. …and ice cream. One night we stayed at a brand new indoor water resort, getting there just in time to enjoy the slides for a couple of hours. Mezcal hotel room shots. Shattering windows, cracking cymbals, and busting cameras. And a super sweaty day at Post Festival. All just some of the fond memories along the five weeks of touring with the four-piece (and sound engineers Elliot Dicks and Charlie Ames).
Thank you, Bryan, Larry, Laurent, and Trevor (Russian Circles and Porcelain too!) for a surreal experience of a lifetime. Feels like the most rad fever dream ever. It was a pleasure getting to know the band, hearing stories of previous tours, making new friends, and not to mention hearing a lot of new songs and older favorites every night.
Below is a link to a collection of songs played in the van, mostly curated by the each member of Pelican with slight influence from both sound engineers and myself. I excluded repeating bands, as Facs, Deftones, Black Sabbath, and Quicksand were constant plays, and Larry playing “South of Heaven” almost every day. Full albums were chosen over playlists; you can cover a lot of music over 8,500 miles. Songs from bands that played along the way have been added in addition.
Van Tunes: Pelican Tour 2025
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0d6MGfCJXL27Xjyg7nVJa1?si=ebe0ddc7b6c54d00
Currently working on going through all the photographs and notes taken.
Day 1
Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger
Departing Boston in the morning, I got to Louisville around 2pm. With time to kill before meeting Pelican at the venue, I snagged a bite to eat at Feast BBQ then a beer at Akasha Brewing.
At the brewery, I was served a “Fehr’s Cheer,” a classic Kentucky Common offering, by Captain Pepe (check out his surf rock band Tsunami Samurai) and met Roxy the resident elder street cat that has lived in the building even before the brewery moved in.
Jaye Jayle, who printed the shirts for the tour and designed the “Skull” tee, booked a gig for the band to not only pass off the shirts but to also break up the drive to St. Louis where we will connect with Russian Circles. Evan would perform solo followed by Pressions and (ohlm) at Whirling Tiger.
Met the band and Elliot the Soundguy outside the venue and started loading in. And so it begins…
Day 2
St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
Today we meet up with Russian Circles at Delmar Halll, but first, breakfast. Swinging by Full Stop Shop in Louisville, we were joined by Coliseum vocalist/guitarist Ryan Patterson. After eating and doubling down on the coffee, we set out for St. Louis.
Arriving with some to kill before soundcheck, I joined Larry and Laurant for a pick-me-up at Blueprint Coffee, then dipped into Vintage Vinyl for some record shopping. While loading in, a strong wind gust caught the back van door swinging it wide, right into the corner of a U-Haul box truck, shattering the window. While Trevor handles setting up for the show, Bryan is tracking down a repair shop. Luckily, a glass shop was found not too far away, however, the only kit they had for this model was missing a piece. The repair will have to wait until morning.
Not sure if the concert sold out, there was a low ticket warning that afternoon. I believe if I heard Trevor correctly, this would be the first Pelican performance in St. Louis since 2006. With a nine-song set, the instrumental titans would perform six new tracks from their forthcoming album and three others from three different albums spanning their career.
Day 3-4
Oklahoma City, OK – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
We met up with the glass repair company in the parking lot and got the window replaced. It’s an off-day today but we have a long drive. If you take Interstate 44 out of St. Louis and head toward Denton, TX, it would take about 10 hours and roughly 666 miles.
After Laurent joked about going to a waterpark along the tour, Trevor actually found a brand new indoor water park, the Okana Resort, that just recently opened in Oklahoma City. While we could push to get to Denton, we all decided it would be better to race to the water park. A nerve-racking, several-hour drive being pushed around by wind gusts along the highway the entire way, and then rain when passing through a small community known as Devil’s Elbow, we made it in time to enjoy the water slides and have dinner together. I was pleased to see they had Coors Banquet available.
A late breakfast at Sunnyside Diner, then we set out for Texas. Tonight the band plays a sold-out Rubber Gloves in Denton, just north of Dallas. With a much shorter drive, some time opened up for us to wander out for coffee, beer, and food before having to get back to the venue.
Rubber Gloves is a pretty cool venue with a large outdoor area complete with a stage with string lights cast about. Inside, there is a smaller stage, bar, and a cozy lounge. As the crowd caught on to the new songs, slowly finding the new rhythms to headbang and move along to, they also lost their minds when the band would get to “Dead Between the Walls” and “Ephemeral.” While to my dismay, “Glimmer” did not make the setlist, “The Creeper” did.
With the return of Laurent back in the band, ‘Flickering Resonance’ reminds me a lot of 2009’s ‘What We All Come to Need’ (the last album he was a part of before departing), and feels like a continuation from that record. And I am totally here for it.
Day 5
Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Pelican and Russian Circles play a sold-out Mohawk in Austin, TX tonight, a quick 4 hour drive. That means more free time, which means seeking out coffee, but first, laundry. We pulled up to a Washateria, threw our clothes in, and looked around the area for something to kill time as we wait. Larry and I spotted Amy’s Ice Cream across the street and almost immediately decided to get a couple of scoops while we waited for our clothes. Drummer boy got a scoop of coffee and chocolate, while I went with two scoops of strawberry.
Settling into the venue, I dipped out while the bands loaded in and setup for soundcheck. Took me a few days to catch on, but this is pretty much the only time I have to explore, grab a beer, and/or get something to eat, depending on how much time is available. A Stubbs BBQ joint is a block away and a quick plate of smoked brisket with collard greens and potato salad, with a Estrella Jalisco Mexican Pilsner to wash it down.
The venues keep getting cooler, Mohawk has an insane outdoor space with multiple mezzanines, giving fans (and photographers) numerous vantage points. St. Elmo Brewing supplied both bands with brews, “Hazy” an IPA with notes of citrus, mango, and pineapple from Strata and Citra hops and coconut from the Sabro hops, and “Carl” a very drinkable Kölsch, as well as some refreshing hop water. Glassing guitarist Cory Brim and his wife found Trevor and me by the merch area to say hi. Time for the show to begin.
Day 6
El Paso, TX – Off Day
Breakfast at Thyme and Dough before a 9-hour-long drive from Austin to El Paso. I ordered the smokey chipotle sandwich (two eggs, Swiss cheese, salsa, turkey bacon, and smoked jalapenos on a toasted ciabatta bun) and drank it down with a Texas pecan blend coffee.
After roughly 350 miles, we are just over halfway there, time for a coffee break at Glitzys Brew. The blueberry mocha espresso frappe was delicious. Around the Van Horn area, with only 125 miles to go, we drove straight into a dust storm that would last pretty much until the El Paso city limits. The vast desert surrounding Interstate 10 looked more like Mars than Texas, with the afternoon sun making the sand and dust glow a rusty orange color. Visibility was less than a quarter mile with strong winds up to 45 mph. Occasionally, an eighteen-wheeler would cruise right past us, adding to the terror.
If caught in a dust storm and forced to pull over, it is advised to pull off the road as far as possible and shut off your lights. Otherwise, with the extremely low visibility, people behind you will see the lights and mistake the path as the road and crash right into you.
Getting into El Paso around 7pm, it was time to eat. Even though there was a restaurant called Pelican’s, we stopped into Eloise next door for dinner due to their more vegan-friendly menu and better cocktails.
Day 7
Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
Only a 5-hour-long drive today, tonight’s gig is at the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona. 8am lobby call and we are off, but first, coffee. A vanilla cold brew with oat milk at Mas y Menos will do the trick. I was able to find a location nearby that happened to resemble the cover art of ‘Flickering Resonance’ (designed by Christian Degn), so we stopped by Franklin Mountains State Park to take some band portraits. To our dismay, it was very windy on the exposed ridgeline and did not stay long.
We arrived at the venue just before 4pm and settled in. While Russian Circles is loading and soundchecking, some of us once again set out to explore the neighboorhood. Picked up all three of the Post Punk Chronicles compilation CDs (“Scared to Dance,” “Left of the Dial,” and “Going Underground”) put out by Rhino Records in 1999 at Wooden Tooth Records. Then I stopped into Pueblo Vida Brewing and enjoyed their “Cereus” (hazy IPA), “Clara Vida” (super light lager), and “Outside Adventures” (hazy IPA).
Day 8
Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
It’s about 3:30pm as we drive through Skid Row, approaching The Regent Theatre in Downtown LA. After a series of longer drives, most of us hung around the venue and eased into the sold-out show. That and the neighborhood we were in did not look all that appealing and inviting, reminded me of the not-as-popular streets in Manhattan – gross. Luckily, there was a small pizzeria attached to the club.
Several shows in and the boys have the riffs dialed in. It’s a pretty cool experience watching people’s faces get melted every night, especially considering most of the set were new songs (with only a few released at the time of the tour). Old favorites like “Dead Between the Walls” would get a reaction from most within seconds of the first poundings of the drums and deep chugs.
Day 9
Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
The day began in the Woodland Hills of Los Angeles, where the band is meeting photographer Jesse Lirola for a cover story photoshoot for the June 2025 issue of Decibel Magazine. Being an extra person came in handy as the heavy weights holding Jesse’s lights were not enough to counter the high winds, leading me not just to hold, but put my full body into keeping the stand and lightbox from blowing into the next county.
Made a quick stop to the Southern Lord warehouse to pick up a few cases of vinyl records before another stop at the Paiste office so Larry could pick up a new crash cymbal. Tonight, the bands play The Observatory in Santa Ana, California. A bite to eat at Papa K’s Mediterranean Kitchen, I got the falafel wrap, then time for soundcheck.
Day 10
Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall
It’s 9am and we are setting out from the hotel for a 350-mile drive. Lunch break at Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop, I got the Italian sub. Watching the rolling hills of California from the van window was mesmerizing. The scenery had turned from vast, empty desert flatlands to lush forests with hills and mountains towering around you. Situated in a valley surrounded by redwood forests, just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean, the venue is located in a quaint downtown area of the small town of Felton.
Arrived at Felton Music Hall around 3pm, tonight is a headline set with Sour Widows, while the boys in Russian Circles will take an off day. Being a Tuesday, most of the resturants and shops are closed – including the brewery across the street. Luckily a local food marketplace was open where most of us grabbed fresh food for snacks and dinner.
The restaurant inside the venue is no longer there; this would be the first show for the venue since it closed. However, the owner of nearby Redwood Pizza brought a small travel oven to sling slices outside for concertgoers, staff, and crew. Not all heroes wear capes. The pizza was delicious.
Day 11
San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
It’s gray and raining in San Francisco, however, tonight’s venue is one for the books. The legendary Fillmore, aka the “Elite Club.” During the 1980s, this venue gained a reputation for booking infamous punk rock shows featuring the likes of Bad Brains, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Discharge, FEAR, Flipper, and Social Distortion, among many others.
Built in 1912, the building initially housed the Majestic Hall and Academy of Dancing. It was not until 1954, when one of the most successful African-American businessmen in San Francisco at the time, Charles Sullivan, started booking bands and renamed the venue The Fillmore Auditorium, allowing the first black attendees to the venue and introducing Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, and Ike & Tina Turner to the area.
Over the years, everyone from The Velvet Underground, No Doubt, Chuck Berry, The Doors, Aretha Franklin, Cream, The Birds, Otis Redding, Eric Clapton, Weezer, Willie Nelson, The Stooges, Santana, and Ice Cube …Not to mention that The Grateful Dead played a total of 51 concerts at the venue from within four years, 1965-1969.
Before the show began, I explored the venue and admired all of the psychedelic concert posters, which the club is known for. Dining rooms, stairways, and mezzanine walls are covered from floor to ceiling in gig posters, most featuring every rock band you have ever heard of.
Day 12
Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Laundry day at Tons of Bubbles Laundromat, and I believe this spot was chosen due to a coffee shop in the vicinity. As some of the fellas ventured off in search for a brew, I went a different direction and wandered off to find a nearby geocache. After reconviening, we explored the area and happened by a World Famous Hotboys when the brilliant idea to pose in front came about. Though we did not stop to enjoy their Oakland original spicy hot fried chicken, as we had already grabbed an early lunch.
Tonight’s show is at Ace of Spades along the R Street Corridor Downtown Sacramento, California. With a bit of time to kill, I meandered around the block and stopped into the Shaddy Lady Saloon, got an order of “Crispy Brussels Sprouts” with a ponzu glaze and sesame seeds for a snack, and headed back to the venue.
Day 13
Redding, CA x Eugene, OR
9am lobby call as we have a full day of driving in hopes of having a bit of free time in Portland, Oregon before the sold-out show at Revolution Hall.
Severe weather warning as we head north from Sacramento, California. So bad that even Russian Circles, who were ahead of us, were denied access to the Interstate 5. Chains are required to pass through the mountainous terrain of Northern California and Southern Oregon during these conditions. We decide to stop for lunch in Redding, CA to wait out the storm at a lovely deli and market, Country Organics & Kitchen (@therawsomekitchen). I got a pesto turkey wrap and a smoothie.
After an intense drive day, it’s been decided we all stay in Eugene, Oregon for the night – making a short 2-ish-hour drive tomorrow morning. Dinner reservations were made at Sweet Waters on the River Sweet Waters On The River where both bands and crews joined to celebrate Pelican bassist Bryan’s 45th birthday.
Day 14
Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Get to sleep in on Saturday, then breakfast some minutes away at Morning Glory Cafe. Got the French Toast, three thick slices of challah bread dipped in egg batter and drizzled with strawberry sauce. Back on Interstate 5.
Revolution Hall is another interesting venue, this one is located in the historic Washington High School building, built in 1922. The auditorium was converted into a venue in 2015 after being left unused since 1981, with some of the original wooden seats preserved. The venue was also used for Battle of the Bands scenes in the 2022 comedy-drama movie Metal Lords.
Across the street from the venue, as luck would have it, a brewpub with a nature theme honoring old growth. While ordering a “Widowmaker” triple IPA, I happened into an old beer homie (hi Jenna!) from Boston at @GrandFirBrewing who moved to the PNW pursuing her brewing career. We catch up over a couple of beers before I have to get back to school.
The air is buzzing inside the venue. Everyone is excited for the show. A+ night.
Day 15
Seattle, WA @ Showbox
We stopped for lunch in Vancouver, Washington. After getting coffee and food at Brewed Cafe, Larry, Laurent, and myself eagerly wandered over to Ronald Records, a vibrant music shop filled with vinyl, plus limited other formats, apparel, and novelty items. Larry found a copy of ‘Forever Becoming’ – their fifth album released in 2013 via Southern Lord. I scored a 6-CD set of rare Alfred Hitchcock radio shows before heading back to the venue.
With plenty of time before soundcheck, I took a lap around the block to get a taste of the infamous “Gum Wall,” an alleyway literally covered in layers of chewed bubblegum. Being the day before Saint Patrick’s day and The Blarney Stone next to the venue, a pint of Guinness and a plate of boiled dinner would do nicely.
Many friends of the bands were in attendance at the sold-out Showbox in Downtown Seattle. A group shot being arranged after the show with the likes of members of Red Fang, Minus the Bear, Botch, Helms Alee, Isis, Rezn, Sumac. and both Pelican and Russian Circles.
