As we’ve heard from places like The New Yorker, NYTimes, and everywhere in between, the reactivated Swans are a powerhouse and a near religious live force. I spoke about this firsthand when recapping the 10/8 Brooklyn Masonic Temple show Haunting The Chapel co-organized. Not just that, the new album My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky is a great one, better than maybe anyone could have hoped/imagined. All more than enough reason to extend the tour, which is just what Michael Gira & Co. have done. Take a look at the expanded itinerary that takes us deep into 2011. The old dates stop after 12/13 in Germany. The new ones pick up in February in Austin. Wooden Wand, who’s also back in finest form, is opening the new US shows.

10/29 – Leeds, UK @ Uni Stylus %
10/30 – Manchester UK @ Academy %
11/23 – Gronignen, Netherlands @ VERA %
11/24 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ Le Guess Who Fest at Tivoli de Helling %
11/25 – Brussels @ Belgium AB %
11/26 – Lille, France @ Le Grande Mix %
11/28 – Paris, France @ BBMIX festival %
11/30 – Toulouse, France @ Le Phare %
12/01 – Lyon, France @ Epicerie Modern %
12/02 – Geneva, Switzerland @ L’Usine %
12/03 – Turin, Italy @ Musica90 c/o Sala Espace %
12/04 – Bologna, Italy @ Locomotive Club %
12/05 – Roma, Italy @ Cirglio Delgi Artisti %
12/07 – Vienna, Austria @ at Arena %
12/08 – Prague, Czech @ Akropolis %
12/09 – Wroclaw, Poland @ Firlej %
12/10 – Warsaw, Poland @ Stodola %
12/12 – Hamburg, Germany @ Kampnagel %
12/13 – Berlin, Germany @ Volksbuehne %
02/18 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk Austin #
02/19 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Music Hall #
02/22 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall #
02/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre #
02/26 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s Crystal Ball Reading Room #
02/27 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #
03/01 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Grand Ballroom #
03/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater #
03/06 – Auckland, New Zealand @ Powerstation !!
03/10 – Melbourne, Australia @ Forum Theatre ^^
03/11 – Brisbane, Australia @ The Hi-Fi ^^
03/12 – Sydney, Australia @ Metro Theatre ^^
04/09 – Lisboa, Portugal @ Aula Magna
04/12 – Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel @ Barby
04/14 – Athens, Greece @ Gagarin 205
04/16 – Tilburg, Netherlands @ Roadburn Festival (Main Stage)
05/02 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega %
05/03 – Aarhuis, Denmark @ VoxHall %
05/04 – Malmo, Sweden @ Babel %
05/06 – Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller %
05/07 – Drammen, Norway @ Union Scene %
05/08 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Strand %
05/10 – Tampere, Finland @ Klubi %
05/11 – Helsinki, Finland @ Tavastia %
05/12 – Tallinn, Estonia @ Von Krahl Theatre Bar %
05/13 – Riga, Latvia @ Grivas Mebeles %
05/14 – St. Petersburg, Russia @ SKIF Festival %
05/15 – Moscow, Russia @ Avant Club %
05/21 – Budapest, Hungary @ Trafó House of Contemporary Arts %
05/23 – Zagreb, Croatia @ Teatar Itd %
05/24 – Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Kino Kiska Centre for Urban Culture %

% w/ James Blackshaw
# w/ Wooden Wand
!! w/ Pumice
^^ w/ Necks

My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky is out now via Young God. Listen to “Eden Prison,” if you haven’t. And if you need more convincing, here’s a clip of the band doing “I Crawled” at Lee’s Palace, Toronto:

[Live Gira Photo by Samantha Marble from Swans @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 10/8/10]]