Paul Westerberg will support the April 23rd release of his two new albums, Stereo and Mono (credited to his "Grandpaboy" alias) by playing a series of in-store performances. The tour begins with an April 22nd date at Easy Street Records in Seattle and concludes with a May 4th appearance at Borders in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He will also perform on The Late Show with David Letterman on April 29th.

Westerberg declined to tour after the release of his last album, 1999's Suicaine Gratifaction, but this time out he wants to complete the circuit, if for no other reason than to dispel rumors of his untimely demise.

"There's all this crazy talk online," says Westerberg, "that I live on a farm, have one lung, AIDS, or am dead. I feel the need to disprove that by actually showing up in person. Before I plan any big tour or put a band together, I'd be willing to show up here and there and play the acoustic guitar and do what they're least expecting me to do."

Paul Westerberg in-store dates:

4/22: Seattle, Easy Street Records
4/23: Portland, OR, Music Millennium
4/24: San Francisco, Virgin Megastore
4/25: Los Angeles, Amoeba
4/28: New York, Virgin Megastore (Union Square)
4/30: Philadelphia, Tower (Ave of the Arts)
May 1: Boston, Virgin Megastore
May 2: Chicago, Virgin Megastore
May 3: Austin, Waterloo
May 4: Ann Arbor, MI, Borders

COLIN DEVENISH
(April 1, 2002)