“DOG STAB!” The Residents’ 50th Anniversary Tour

The Residents Revisit Two Iconic Albums “Duck Stab” & “The Third Reich ‘n’ Roll”

Along with Showcasing Songs from Latest Album METAL, MEAT & BONE

In 22 North American Cities This Summer & Autumn from August 19 – September 18, 2021

San Francisco, CA – Tuesday, July 6, 2021 – The world-famous art-rock group The Residents are back at it again and this time it’s to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the mind-bending counter-culturalists as they perform a 22-date North American tour entitled DOG STAB! that culminates with a hometown show at the famous Castro Theatre in San Francisco, CA. The Residents showcase electrifying music from their latest double disc recording, METAL, MEAT & BONE, that features newly discovered recordings of Alvin Snow (a.k.a. Dyin’ Dog). METAL, MEAT & BONE includes 10 Dyin’ Dog Demos, 10 interpretations of the demos by The Residents, and six works inspired by Dyin’ Dog. Each night on the DOG STAB! The Residents’ 50th Anniversary Tour, The Residents will perform tracks from METAL, MEAT & BONE as well as revisit two legendary recordings including the 7-inch EP, Duck Stab (1978) and their The Third Reich ‘n’ Roll (1976) album.

To get a sneak peek into the Duck Stab live set, view The Residents’ exclusive performance of DUCK STAB! ALIVE! directed by renowned video artist John Sanborn that premiered in June 2021 as part of the 40th Anniversary of Night Flight.

To know the story of Alvin Snow a.k.a. Dyin’ Dog, one must enter the world of an ultimate outsider turned bluesman. Born on Friday, January 13, 1939, the albino was abandoned on the steps of an orphanage. Free from human attachments, Snow created his own reality from the fragments of life drifting through his consciousness while intruding thoughts were lined with the feeling life’s out to get him. Snow’s unspoken rage and overpowering air of entitlement allowed him to evade lawyers, angry victims and the police, but lurking in the dark creases of his psyche a beast haunted his every being.

The penetrating sounds of a jukebox pouring out of a small Mississippi town’s bar suddenly stopped him dead in his tracks one day. Mesmerized, the song slowly sucked him in. Howlin’ Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talking” was spinning and an overwhelming epiphany came over Snow. Buried emotions flooded back into the albino’s mind and as the self-reflective plea, “I’m the causin’ of it all,” echoed in his head over and over, a dawning awareness surfaced. After years of fraud, his life started to gain meaning for the first time. The malevolent force of an atrocious, mythical wolf who taunted his consciousness since birth turned into a majestic howl that led Snow to The Blues.

Of course, Snow had little use for the traditional trappings of religion, but unpronounced to him, a new concept of God developed in the shape of Howlin’ Wolf. He began to devour every song recorded by his new deity and wrote songs of his own he’d go over and over, burning them into his brain. Snow adopted a menacing growl reflective of his hero, Howlin’ Wolf. Soon, the neophyte blues singer formed a band and rescued a pup from a hit and run accident.

Fancied quite the talent by a record executive who would come to back the recording sessions for his original songs, Snow would need to come up with a stage name. Everyone agreed Alvin Snow didn’t cut it, but it would take some thinking on his part to match the perfect name to his ruffled voice, and even more blemished character. Leave it up to some drunken college kids ramming into a parked truck in front of where Snow lived, a hospital bed subsequently fell on and crushed his newly acquired little pooch. Hence, the name Dyin’ Dog was born.

Before the debut performance of his 10-recorded demos on January 13, 1976, Snow vanished and was never to be heard from again. In September 2019, the Dyin’ Dog Demos were extraordinarily released as a Box Set. The Residents bring these long-lost songs to the stage for the very first time and present material from their pivotal 1976 and 1978 albums, The Third Reich ‘n’ Roll and Duck Stab, at venerable venues from August 19 – September 18, 2021.

For more information regarding Alvin Snow a.k.a. Dyin’ Dog, please visit:

youtube.com/watch?v=trE_SmrngbM&feature=youtu.be

The Third Reich ‘N’ Roll

Considered by some to be the cornerstone of The Residents’ reputation, The Third Reich ‘N’ Roll (1976) consists of two tracks (one on each side of the LP), each a medley of deconstructed (dismembered?) covers of popular songs from the ’60s. The ESD Classic Series CD liner notes call the album a “scathingly satirical look at ’60’s bubble-gum rock somehow twisted into shocking ’70’s bubble-gum avant-garde”. The Residents put a lot of effort into the packaging and promotion of the album. In keeping with the “Third Reich” theme, the promotional photos featured men in swastika glasses and wearing giant swastika collars. The Nazi references and swastikas were a problem all through the album’s history. In fact, the album couldn’t be released in Germany because the swastikas in the cover art are banned there. The band put out a “censored” version of the album cover in response. The Residents also made a short film to promote the album — one of the very first music videos.

Duck Stab

Released in 1978, Duck Stab was an EP featuring seven songs sung clearly, with understandable (if nonsensical) lyrics — a first for The Residents. The EP was a runaway success. Quickly selling out of the first pressing, The Cryptic Corporation soon did a second pressing. Unfortunately, the sound quality of the EP was poor because The Residents had tried to squeeze sixteen minutes of music onto the record. The band decided to re-release the songs in an album in order to improve the sound. They took a similar, unreleased EP called Buster & Glen and made it into side two of the new album. Duck Stab / Buster & Glen was released the following November and was later renamed as simply Duck Stab. The album was a big critical success thanks to the accessibility of the music and the clever, Lewis Carroll-flavored lyrics (not to mention Snakefinger’s amazing guitar work).

Fans will be treated to a special performance of live renditions of select songs from The Third Reich ‘n’ Roll and Duck Stab.

For additional information regarding The Residents’ forthcoming DOG STAB! The Residents’ 50th Anniversary Tour, please see the forthcoming tour dates listed below and visit residents.com.

THE RESIDENTS

Constantly defying classification, THE RESIDENTS have been regarded as icons in the world of experimental music for almost fifty years. In addition to their groundbreaking work in the areas of trance, world fusion, electronica, punk, industrial and lounge music, the group has also been credited with being among the originators of performance art and music video, with their videos included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Their lengthy career has also taken them into the world of film and television music, having scored numerous films and TV series as well as several projects for MTV. In addition, the group is also thriving in the world of digital media having released ten DVDs, and two internet series.

In January, 2020, resurrecting their widely acclaimed 1988 album, God in 3 Persons, The Residents, in collaboration with noted video artist John Sanborn, created a major multimedia performance at the Museum of Modern Art. In addition, based on the newly discovered recordings of Alvin Snow, aka Dyin’ Dog, the group completed their 49th studio album, METAL, MEAT & BONE. In August, 2021, featuring the music of Snow, The Residents will embark on another world tour, which will also revisit The Third Reich ‘n’ Roll and Duck Stab, two quintessential Residents albums.

DOG STAB! The Residents’ 50th Anniversary Tour 2021

August 19, 2021 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR

August 20, 2021 – Fremont Abbey – Seattle, WA

August 21, 2021 – The Imperial – Vancouver, Canada

August 23, 2021 – Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT

August 24, 2021 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO

August 26, 2021 – The Cedar – Minneapolis, MN

August 27, 2021 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

August 28, 2021 – The Shelter – Detroit, MI

August 30, 2021 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT

August 31, 2021 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA

September 2, 2021 – (le) poisson rouge – New York City

September 3, 2021 – The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA

September 4, 2021 – Ottobar – Baltimore, MD

September 5, 2021 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

September 6, 2021 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA

September 9, 2021 – The Kessler – Dallas, TX

September 10, 2021 – The Heights – Houston, TX

September 11, 2021 – Empire Control Room – Austin, TX

September 14, 2021 – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ

September 15, 2021 – Regent Theater – Los Angeles, CA

September 17, 2021 – The Castro – San Francisco, CA

September 18, 2021 – Rio Theater – Santa Cruz, CA