Mitchell Peters, L.A.
Indie rock titans the Decemberists are gearing up for a spring trek that will hit 1,500- to 3,000-capacity venues across the United States. The outing follows the success of the act's Capitol debut, "The Crane Wife," which has sold 151,000 copies in the United States since its October release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The tour launches with a March 21-22 stand at Jersey City, N.J.'s Loews Theater and wraps at Western Washington University in Bellingham on May 5. The band will also perform at this year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 28. Supporting on all dates (except April 4-6) is My Brightest Diamond.
Following the release of "The Crane Wife," the Decemberists took to the road in November and December, performing in ballrooms and theaters. Eighteen shows reported to Billboard Boxscore grossed $695,763 and drew nearly 32,000 in attendance. That's a significant jump from 2005, when the act grossed $361,570 for 22 reported gigs, according to Boxscore.
Along with growing box-office numbers, the Decemberists have seen an increase in album sales -- "The Crane Wife" has already moved 9,000 more units than 2005's "Picaresque," the band's last for indie Kill Rock Stars.
"Their fans are really enthusiastic. A lot of bands can have the same amount of records sales but won't necessarily draw the crowds they do," North American agent Kevin French of Bigshot Touring Artists tells Billboard.com. "The people that buy their records are really fans. They have a great live following."
For their upcoming tour, which starts a month after a three-week European jaunt, the Decemberists will explore uncharted territory Stateside, according to French.
"We have missed some of the smaller markets on the past tours, so this time we're putting thought into places we've never been before," he says, citing such cities as Memphis and Milwaukee. "The record is doing great everywhere, so we have to get to every city."
Future touring plans include "a couple of the major festivals," which French declined to reveal, along with a summer outing that could include amphitheater dates.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/..._id=1003536108 
Linear Mode
