OTEP's label mate & opener Dropout Kings cannot wait for fans to come out! Singer Adam states, "Everyone in Dropout Kings is super excited for the fire and fury tour. This is absolutely the biggest tour any of us have ever done, and we're absolutely honored to hit the road with Otep. We're just loving every moment right now and we're just cherishing these times. Can't say enough how appreciative we are of our team at Napalm Records, our management, and everyone on the team behind the scenes as well. Without those people, and the beautiful people that listen to us and give us the time of day, NONE of this would be possible without you. I've always hoped this moment would come. Never thought it actually would. I want this to be a testament to you can make anything happen if you have the timing, planning, perseverance, dedication, and most importantly a belief in yourself. Take that leap of faith. It's scary but I promise the most beautiful things will happen for you in your life. Anyway, we're all stoked about this, you're all cool as fuck, lets hang out when we get to your city!"
OTEP Summer 2018 Headline Tour Dates:
7/6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall*
7/7 - Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theatre*
7/8 - Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater*
7/9 - Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep*
7/11 - Merriam, KS @ Aftershock*
7/12 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Icon Lounge*
7/13 - Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest - hosted by Lou Brutus
7/14 - Joliet, IL @ The Forge#
7/15 - Detroit, MI @ Diesel Concert Lounge#
7/17 - Toronto, ON @ The Rockpile
7/18 - Ottawa, ON @ Brass Monkey
7/19 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre - w/ Kore RozZik
7/20 - Reading, PA @ Reverb - RockRoom#
7/21 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance#
7/22 - Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Iron Works#
7/23 - Warrendale, PA @ Jergel's Rhythm Grille#
7/25 - Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall#
7/26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts#
7/27 - Cleveland, OH @ The Odeon Concert Club#
7/28 - Findlay, OH @ All American Rock House#
7/29 - St. Louis, MO @ Fubar#
8/1 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Ruins Live&
8/2 - Austin, TX @ Come & Take It Live&
8/3 - Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live!&
8/4 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar&
8/5 - San Antonio, TX @ The Rock Box&
8/7 - Mesa, AZ @ Club Red&
8/8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
8/9 - Flagstaff, AZ @ The Green Room&
8/10 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto Theatre&
8/11 - Anaheim, CA @ The Parish @ House of Blues&
8/12 - Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver&
8/14 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon&
8/15 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre&
8/17 - Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55&
8/18 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater&
* w/ Dropout Kings & One Day Waiting
# w/ Dropout Kings & Kore RozZik
& w/ Dropout Kings & Ragdoll Sunday
Shamaya adds, "We are beyond excited to play some of the new songs on tour, to play Rock Fest in Wisconsin this summer, to scream and sing with our beloved fans and to remind everyone that no matter how hard they try to extinguish our identities, this time, we're standing together and fighting back. This time, they will know how powerful we truly are."
Throughout the span of her career, Otep Shamaya has been an undeniable force in bringing awareness via various acclaimed mediums to the social and political injustices felt by various communities and subcultures. For years, publications such as Revolver Magazine have lauded Shamaya for "following in the footsteps of outspoken musicians from folk singer Woody Guthrie to Rage Against The Machine's Zach de la Rocha", dubbing her "one of music's catalysts for social change". So, with the political climate as it is today, now it's the perfect time to impact with Kult 45.
Shamaya has gone on record to say that Kult 45 is the most authentic album OTEP have ever released, at least since their first record, and self-producing it helped achieve this result. Kult 45 was recorded at The Lair in Los Angeles, completely utilizing the same equipment used for OTEP's first album, Sevas Tra (down to Shamaya's vocal microphone, a SHURE Beta 58), in order to create a sound reminiscent of their roots. Kult 45 was self-produced by Otep Shamaya and Aristotle, with assistant engineering from Larry Goetz, Nicolas Schilke and Lizzy Ostro.
OTEP does not hold back on Kult 45, pointing out all sorts of political duplicities and leaving them in their wake. The band explodes on aggressive, adamant anthems like "Halt Right" and "Molotov", which act as timely outcries against the recent resurgence of hate groups.Tracks like the in-your-face "Cross Contamination" explore the hypocrisy of the evangelical right giving Trump a pass on his infidelities, and cherry-picking scriptures to fit their ideologies. "Invisible People" approaches immigration issues while pointing a strong finger at Trump, the electronically-charged "Boss" aims to break, fight, and redefine gender roles, "Shelter In Place" investigates the topic of school shootings, and "Trigger Warning" targets rape culture - specifically Stanford rapist Brock Turner -with a vengeance.
One of the last tracks on the album is a true-to-form cover of "Wake Up" - an homage to political music icons, major Kult 45 writing inspirations, and original track recording artists Rage Against The Machine. The album closes with the bonus track "The Tribe Speaks", featuring recorded voicemails from fans expressing how OTEP's music has changed their lives. Shamaya says the voicemails are truly moving and keep her fighting as an artist and activist.
OTEP is:
Otep Shamaya: Vocals
Aristotle: Guitars
Drewski Barnes: Bass
Justin Kier: Drums
https://www.facebook.com/otepofficial
