Michael Gira

Last November, the noise preachers from Swans played their last eardrum-shattering concert in the band’s 30-year history. It couldn’t go on. But Swans mastermind Michael Gira always had a taste for surprises, and enough (dark) energy for more than one lifetime. Gira, a gifted songwriter, often stood out in Swans’ oeuvre, and now the man of sorrows is setting off on a tour with nothing but an acoustic guitar to play songs from his extensive discography. Here, as in Swans, Gira’s voice blends with minimalist arrangements to create a dynamic sound evoking both wrath and tenderness. This quieter incarnation also reveals a spiritual kinship with the late Johnny Cash.