When Celebrants — the first new Nickel Creek album since 2014 — was announced last month, the talented trio indicated they would soon confirm a tour in support of the release. Mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins fulfilled that promise with the announcement of Nickel Creek’s Spring Tour 2023.
Celebrants will arrive on March 24 through Thirty Tigers. It serves as the follow-up to the trio’s 2014 album, A Dotted Line. The band has performed only sporadically in the nine years since its release.
Nickel Creek will start their tour in support of the 18-track album on April 15 in Cincinnati. Additional April engagements include stops in Pittsburgh, New Haven (Connecticut), Concord (New Hampshire), Portland (Maine), Boston, Philadelphia, Birmingham (Alabama) and Wilkesboro (North Carolina), as well as three previously announced, sold-out shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on April 27, 28 and 29.
Nickel Creek will perform in Charlottesville (Virginia) on May 1. The tour continues in May with shows scheduled in York (Pennsylvania) on May 3 and in New York City on May 4. They will close out the month with an appearance at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina).
The tour continues on June 2 in Atlanta, before heading back to South Carolina for a show on June 3 in Greenville. The June leg of the tour moves on with an appearance on June 4 at the Railbird Music Festival in Lexington, Kentucky. A run through the Midwest starts in Akron (Ohio) on June 6 with additional shows in the region taking place in Grand Rapids (Michigan), Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Kansas City. Nickel will also appear at the 50th anniversary Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colorado in mid-June. Additional dates are expected to be added.
Gaby Moreno, Aoife O’Donovan and Hawktail will support at select dates. Tickets and “Celebrants Club” VIP packages for Nickel Creek’s first headlining tour since 2014 will be available for pre-sale beginning tomorrow, February 8 at 10 a.m. local venue time through the band’s website. General tickets go on sale this Friday, February 10 at 10 a.m. local time.
