Rhode Island-based alternative rock/folk outfit Deer Tick released their latest album, Emotional Contracts, in June. It was their first new release since 2017. However, the band wasn’t finished recording new music. Today, they released their cover of the Bruce Springsteen classic “Dancing in the Dark.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Springsteen released “Dancing in the Dark” as the lead single from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. The single helped to push sales of the album, making it the best-selling release of his career. At the same time, it added another title to the list of the Boss’ songs that people regularly misinterpret.
Much like “Born in the U.S.A.” isn’t the flag-waving patriotic anthem people think it is, this track isn’t as romantic as some would believe. However, Deer Tick guitarist/vocalist Ian O’Neil understands this. “For me, ‘Dancing in the Dark’ isn’t a song about romance, but instead a desperate plea to break out of some degraded, stagnant situation,” he explained in a statement. “The narrator is filled with angst, self-doubt, and the only way out is through the sheer force of unwavering willpower,” O’Neil added.
Deer Tick made this cover their own. At the same time, they were able to capture the spirit of the song They strip away the synthesizers that made the track stand out on Springsteen’s album. Instead, they relied on a hard-driving backbeat and big fuzzy electric guitar sounds. Additionally, O’Neil’s vocal delivery captures the snarling attitude that lurked, barely contained, beneath the surface of the Boss’ original recording.
Fans who want to hear this as well as much more live are in luck. Deer Tick is kicking off a massive tour tomorrow, October 12. The band will start the trek in Charleston, South Carolina. Then, they’ll bring it to a close with two nights in Providence, Rhode Island in November. Later, the band will attend The Avett Brothers at the Beach at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico in April 2024. Tickets for the tour are currently on sale.
Deer Tick Tour Dates
- 10/12 – Charleston, South Carolina @ Music Farm
- 10/13 – Atlanta, Georgia @ Terminal West
- 10/14 – Asheville, North Carolina @ Burial Beer Co
- 10/15 – Nashville, Tennessee @ Basement East
- 10/17 – Knoxville, Tennessee @ Bijou Theatre
- 10/19 – New Orleans, Louisiana @ Chickie Wah Wah
- 10/20 – Houston, Texas@ The Heights Theater
- 10/21 – Austin, Texas @ Mohawk
- 10/22 – Ft Worth, Texas @ Tulips
- 10/24 – Phoenix, Arizona @ Crescent Ballroom
- 10/26 – Solana Beach, California @ Belly Up#
- 10/27 – Los Angeles, California @ Teragram Ballroom
- 10/28 – Menlo Park, California @ The Guild Theatre
- 10/29 – San Francisco, California @ The Independent
- 10/31 – Seattle, Washington @ The Crocodile
- 11/01 – Portland, Oregon @ Aladdin
- 11/03 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Commonwealth Room
- 11/04 – Denver, Colorado @ the Bluebird Theater
- 11/05 – Denver, Colorado @ Globe Hall
- 11/08 – Minneapolis, Minnesota @ Fine Line
- 11/09 – Chicago, Illinois @ Thalia Hall
- 11/10 – Ferndale, Michigan @ The Loving Touch
- 11/11 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Opera House
- 11/12 – Homer New York @ Homer Center for the Arts
- 11/14 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
- 11/15 – Brooklyn, New York @ Warsaw
- 11/17 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Union Transfer
- 11/18 – Boston, Massachusetts @ House of Blues
- 11/24 – Providence, Rhode Island @ Columbus Theatre
- 11/25 – Providence, Rhode Island @ Columbus Theatre
- 04/09/24 – 04/13/24 – Riviera Maya, MX @ Avett Brothers At The Beach – Hard Rock Hotel
Photo Credit CJ Harvey courtesy of Chromatic PR
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