Alternative rock group Switchfoot have steadily made their presence as a formidable musical figurehead known throughout the past two decades of chart-topping success. The San Diego natives are well-known for hits such as “Meant To Live” and “Stars,” which helped them to secure mainstream prowess as well as help them gain a lofty fanbase. After a year-long hiatus, the GRAMMY-Award winners are back with their latest release Native Tongue and an upcoming three month tour. In a statement by frontman John Foreman:
“My friends! We’re so excited to present this album to you. In a world driven by fear we wanted this album to be a love letter. An invitation. Calling anyone with ears to hear back to a beauty and transcendence that does not rely on the fallible rhetoric of force.”
To help promote the new album and share some touring wisdom, the group stopped by our Setlist.fm studio in Los Angeles, California. Covering the ins and outs of creating a setlist, the best moments of performing and the gratitude towards their loyal fanbase. Check out the episode below:
Building a setlist:
Chad Butler:
"We are very intentional with our set lists. We plan it all out. Every night is different, so every city is going to be a different set, but then the other thing that is strange thing about us is we rarely follow the set list. So halfway through the set, usually we’ll feel like there’s a song that needs to be played or someone will hold up a sign in the audience and say "this is the one" and you think you know what? They’re right. The set list we made is wrong and you’re right. It’s a communal experience, we figure it out as we go."
The best performances:
Jon Foreman:
"It’s important to us that it feels like it can only happen in that moment in time. Then the next night not only is it likely to be different, but it should be different and we take fully advantage of that."
Favorite fan moments:
Tim Foreman:
"I think the biggest compliment you can pay a band is to come and show up at the show. Buy a ticket, be there, be part of the community experience right in the moment and sing along. For us, that’s a huge honor to hear the crowd sing it with us. It’s irreplaceable."
Make sure to catch them on their massive tour, kicking off Valentine's Day! Full dates are listed below.
Native Tongue Tour Dates:
Feb 14 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, N.C.
Feb 15 – The Mill & Mine – Knoxville, Tenn.*
Feb 16 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, Ga.
Feb 17 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn.
Feb 19 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, Md.
Feb 20 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, Pa.
Feb 22 – Wellmont Theater – Montclair, N.J.
Feb 23 – The Paramount – Huntington, N.Y.
Feb 24 – House of Blues – Boston, Mass.
Feb 28 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, Ontario
Mar 01 – House of Blues – Cleveland, Ohio*
Mar 02 – 20 Monroe Live – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Mar 03 – The Fillmore Detroit – Detroit, Mich.
Mar 05 – The Pageant – Saint Louis, Mo.
Mar 06 – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre – Indianapolis, Ind.*
Mar 08 – Park West – Chicago, Ill.
Mar 09 – Park West – Chicago, Ill.
Mar 10 – The Sylvee – Madison, Wisc.
Mar 13 – New Daisy Theatre – Memphis, Tenn.
Mar 14 – Club Brady – Tulsa, Okla.
Mar 15 – House of Blues – Dallas, Texas
Mar 16 – House of Blues – Houston, Texas
Mar 18 – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater – Austin, Texas
Mar 19 – Aztec Theatre – San Antonio, Texas
Mar 21 – Iron City – Birmingham, Ala.
Mar 22 – The RITZ Ybor – Tampa, Fla.
Mar 23 – House of Blues – Orlando, Fla.
Mar 24 – Revolution – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Mar 27 – State Theatre – Minneapolis, Minn.
Mar 28 – Sokol Auditorium – Omaha, Neb.*
Mar 29 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, Mo.*
Mar 30 – Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, Colo.*
Mar 31 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, Utah*
Apr 03 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, Ariz.
Apr 04 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, Ariz.
Apr 05 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, Calif.
Apr 06 – Arlington Theatre – Santa Barbara, Calif.
Apr 07 – Warfield Theater – San Francisco, Calif.
Apr 09 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, Ore.
Apr 10 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, Ore.
Apr 11 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, Wash.
Apr 12 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, Wash.
Apr 13 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Vancouver, British Colombia
