The Lemonheads to Celebrate ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ 30th Anniversary on Fall Tour

Boston alt-rock stalwarts the Lemonheads will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their hit album, It’s a Shame About Ray, with a North American tour this fall.

The Lemonheads will be performing the album in its entirety throughout the trek. Released in 1992, It’s a Shame About Ray marked the band’s fifth album, and its title track became a rock hit in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. The band also garnered a ton of success with their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” which was added to later pressings of the album. 

The 30th anniversary tour for It’s a Shame About Ray will kick off Nov. 17 at Mickey’s Black Box in Litiz, Pennsylvania and wrap Dec. 17 with a homecoming show at Paradise in Boston. The Lemonheads will receive support from Bass Drum of Death, On Being an Angel, former bandmate Juliana Hatfield, and Rusty, the Nils, on select dates. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 12, with complete information on the Lemonheads’ website. 

Along with the fall tour, the Lemonheads released a special 30th anniversary edition of It’s a Shame About Ray earlier this year. The record houses a handful of extras including an unreleased version of “My Drug Buddy” recorded at the radio station KCRW in 1992 with Hatfield, as well as demos being released for the first time on vinyl.

The Lemonheads Tour Dates

November 17 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box
November 18 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre (with Rusty, the Nils)
November 19 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
November 20 – Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theater
November 21 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
November 23 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station
November 25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
November 26 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
November 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
November 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 1 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 2 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 3 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 5 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 7 – Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theatre (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel)
December 10 – Chicago, IL @ Metro (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)
December 11 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)
December 12 – Washington, D.C. @ 9.30 Club (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)
December 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)
December 15 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)
December 16 – New Jersey, NJ @ White Eagle Hall (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)
December 17 – Boston, MA @ Paradise (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)