Digable Planets Realign for Summer Reunion Tour
The ‘90s hip-hop trio Digable Planets will embark on a nine-date summer reunion tour.
The outfit – Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving – will kick things off with several festival appearances, including the Sasquatch Festival in Washington and the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, followed by theater and club dates primarily in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. More dates are expected to be announced soon. (See full itinerary below.)
Digable Planets formed in the late ‘80s, after Butler and Irving met in Philadelphia; meanwhile Irving and Vieira had dated while attending Howard University. The trio’s 1993 debut album Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was certified gold, spawning the hit single, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," which peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's singles chart. The group followed Reachin’ with 1994’s critically praised Blowout Comb, which was a darker, more politically militant affair than its predecessor. Digable disbanded in early 1995, reportedly over creative differences.
They reunited for a tour in 2005, followed by the release of the compilation Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, featuring previously released material with remixes and B-sides. In more recent years, the outlook for another reunion seemed bleak: After a canceled December 2012 reunion show in Seattle, Butler said in an interview “I think it’s the end.” But then the trio regrouped in December 2015, performing together at Seattle’s Neptune Theater, reigniting the momentum.
Other highlights from the upcoming tour include the Essence Festival in New Orleans and an August 18 performance alongside Pusha T, presented by Salt Lake City's Twilight Concert Series at Pioneer Park. The entire list of dates follow.
Digable Planets Tour Dates
May 28 — George, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
July 2 — New Orleans, LA @ Essence Festival
July 16 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Festival
July 18 — Cincinnati, OH @ Woodward Theater
July 19 — Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
July 20 — Birmingham, AL @ The Saturn
July 21 — Nashville, TN @ The Exit In
July 22 — Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
July 23 — Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
July 24 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
July 26 — Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
July 28 — Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall
August 18 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Pioneer Park (w/ Pusha T)