Tom Waits

A A A Comments By Niki D'Andrea Thursday, Jun 12 2008

Tom Waits: The wait is over.

Details

Tom Waits is scheduled to performon Tuesday and Wednesday, June 17 and 18.

Orpheum Theatre

More About

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

The gravel-voiced, avant-garde king of indescribable booze-jazz/art rock/blues-folk/dissident cabaret is making his first appearance in the Valley in 30 years. Waits' song characters — whether it's a hooker in Minneapolis sending a postcard or a lonely kid sitting after hours in Napoleone's Pizza House — have endured with as much emblematic clarity for his fans as any major movie or television characters. Waits' body of bluesy, piano-driven work stands alone as that of an artist's artist, and he's managed to maintain his integrity in an age where licensing deals have become one of the most lucrative avenues a musician can take. Adamantly opposed to having his music used in advertisements, Waits has filed lawsuits (and won) against companies like Frito-Lay, Audi, and Levi's, for using his music (or something too similar to it) in their commercials. Waits isn't opposed to sharing — his songs have been covered by everybody from The Eagles to Rod Stewart to Scarlett Johansson — but he's opposed to selling products, and he's made sure that no matter what critics say about this eccentric artist, they can never rightfully call him a "sellout."

Check out this week's featured ad for Music

Marketing Performance Group- Gila River

View Ad View Website

More Ads >>

Get the Music Newsletter

Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.