| Blind Pilot | |
|---|---|
Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Astoria, Oregon, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie folk Indie pop |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Expunged Records |
| Website | www.blindpilotmusic.com |
| Members | |
| Israel Nebeker Ryan Dobrowski Luke Ydstie Kati Claborn Ian Krist Dave Jorgensen |
|
Blind Pilot is an American indie folk band based in Portland, Oregon. Their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, reached number 13 on the Billboard Top Digital Albums chart.
The band completed a bicycle tour in 2008,[1] biking from Bellingham, Washington to San Diego, California, carrying their instruments on custom bicycle trailers they fashioned themselves. They made more than two dozen stops along the way, including Port Townsend, Seattle, Olympia, Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, Coos Bay, Arcata and Santa Cruz.
In 2009, Blind Pilot added four more touring members, Luke Ydstie (upright bass, backing vocals), Kati Claborn (banjo, dulcimer, backing vocals), Ian Krist (vibraphones), and Dave Jorgensen (keyboards, trumpet), to match the sound of their album, 3 Rounds and a Sound. The group started a new U.S. tour in March 2009, the first with the six-member lineup. They headlined in clubs across the country. The band also filled support slots for Langhorne Slim and Gomez on a handful of dates during this tour. In May 2009, the band traveled to Europe for a series of gigs opening for Counting Crows and The Hold Steady. Blind Pilot returned to the U.S. in June to join The Decemberists on the road as their opening act. They followed this run with another tour of clubs in the Northeast, Mid-West and Canada.
In May 2009, Blind Pilot performed at the Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. In August 2009, the band performed at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Illinois, and the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, California.
On December 29, 2009, the band released an iTunes only live EP. This EP featured a cover of Gillian Welch's "Look At Miss Ohio".[2] The EP also included new versions of previously released songs, along with a new song, titled "Get It Out". The EP was mixed and recorded by Tucker Martine, who has also mixed for The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, and R.E.M.
Blind Pilot completed a tour in July 2011 that included five Colorado stops in Winter Park (SolShine Festival and Smokin Moe's), Boulder (Chautauqua w/ Josh Ritter), Telluride (Sheridan Opera House), and Aspen (Belly Up) as well as Salt Lake and Santa Fe. Their second full-length album, We Are the Tide, was released in September 2011.