Von Bondies Bond on Tour

The Von Bondies kick off their first of two fall tours Thursday night in their native Michigan with Auf der Maur. In November, they will head out with the Donnas. The Detroit rockers plan to begin recording the follow-up to this year's Pawn Shoppe Heart in March.

Frontman Jason Stollsteimer, guitarist Marcie Bolen and drummer Don Blum will be joined by new bassist Yasmeen Smith -- Carrie Smith (no relation) left the band last month -- on the tour and in the studio. Stollsteimer, the primary songwriter, has already completed four untitled tracks for the record, due next fall, but he will also draw on the talents of his fellow Von Bondies.

"We didn't know how to play our instruments when we did our first record, [2001's Lack of Communication]," Stollsteimer says, "so it was more open to just me being the main person. With this new record, Don and Marcie are writing their own songs, which they've never done, so it's going to be very different. I've been pushing them to because I want to know what they can come up with. Dave Grohl was the drummer in Nirvana, and when he got freedom to do his own stuff, the Foo Fighters were created."

Though they have yet to decide on a producer for their third album, the Von Bondies may recruit former Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison, who took the reigns on Pawn, to do a few tracks, and the band may also branch out. "The songs are changing and so are we," Stollsteimer says, "so we want somebody who fits where we're at musically. I think that having every record sound the same gets really boring. But I'd like to do some songs with Jerry Harrison -- he was so much fun to work with."

Von Bondies tour dates:

With Auf Der Maur

9/16: Grand Rapids, MI, The Intersection
9/17: Chicago, Bottom Lounge
9/18: Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall
9/19: Nashville, Exit In
9/21: Atlanta, Cotton Club
9/22: St. Petersburg, FL, State Theatre
9/23: Fort Lauderdale, FL, Culture Room
9/24: Jacksonville, FL, Jack Rabbits
9/26 Baltimore, Fletcher's
9/27: New York, Irving Plaza
9/29: Philadelphia, Theatre of the Living Arts
9/30: Northampton, MA, Pearl Street
10/1: Boston, Axis
10/3: Austin, Travis County Expo Center
10/5: Ottawa, Babylon
10/6: Toronto, Mod Club
10/7: London, ON, Call the Office
10/8: Detroit, MI

With the Donnas

11/3: Chicago, The Metro
11/6: Omaha, NE, Sokol Underground
11/8: Denver, The Gothic Theater
11/10: Seattle, Neumo's
11/11: Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom
11/13: San Francisco, Slim's
11/14: Los Angeles, House of Blues
11/15: Phoenix, The Brickhouse
11/17: Dallas, Trees
11/18: Austin, Emo's
11/19: Houston, Meridian
11/21: Atlanta, The Masquerade
11/22: Charlotte, NC, Tremont Music Hall
11/24: Washington DC, 9:30 Club
11/26: Philadelphia, Theatre of Living Arts
11/27: Pittsburgh, The World
11/29: Cleveland, The Odeon Concert Club
11/30: Boston, Avalon