Peter Gabriel Coming To Town

The last time I saw Peter Gabriel, he was digging in a big pile of dirt on stage at the Spectrum in 1993 as part of his Secret World Live Tour. He also rode a bike around on a spinning platform, carried luggage on a conveyor belt and down a trap door, and ran around with a camera strapped to his head – at least that’s how I remember it. Since then, the Genesis co-founder has aged (he’s 61), received the Nobel Peace Prize Man of Peace award, jammed with bonobo apes, and virtually disappeared from the touring musician world.

But that all changes this June with his New Blood Tour featuring a 46-piece orchestra reinterpreting his vast catalog of music. He actually did two shows earlier this week at the Hammersmith Apollo in London (they filmed it for a 3D DVD release), and he kicks off an 11-date North American run on June 10th in Berkeley, with a stop at the intimate indoor version of the Susquehanna Bank Center on June 25th. And yes, for those of you out there who really wished he was doing a multi-night run at the Tower instead, I’m with you.

No word on ticket prices yet. I expect an official announcement this Monday.

UPDATE: UK’s The Arts Desk just posted a review of last night’s show at the Apollo, calling the performance an “extraordinary night of music that came within a whisker of something more”. Go here to read the full review.