Recently, Cass McCombs started a month long European tour. McCombs, also recently released the video for Mangy Love’s “I’m A Shoe.” Directed once again by collaborator Rachael Pony Cassells, who did the terrific video and mini doc for “Run Sister Run,” the “I’m A Shoe” video is a striking encapsulation of the mood of one of the album’s more somber cuts. The video wrestles with polarized emotions as Cass glides through a bleak yet strangely beautiful industrial desert, a faint smile dancing on his lips. Rachael had the following to say of the video:

“Creation, destruction, boom, ghost. In the song ‘I’m a Shoe,’ Cass references the California boomtown / ghost town of Bodie, a town that rose to peak population in the late 1800’s gold rush. As people swarmed Bodie and scrambled to strike it rich, the town developed an unrivaled reputation for great violence, murder and a much feared figure – the ‘Bad Man of Bodie.’”

The video for ‘I’m a Shoe’ was filmed at the ghost town of Mare Island, Vallejo, California which in the chronology of California boomtown /ghost towns, directly follows the demise of Bodie. Bodie’s official end and Mare Island’s boom both came about to service the needs of World War II. The Roosevelt’s government’s War Production Board ordered the closure of Bodie’s gold mines in order to divert labor and equipment to the requirements of the war. Mare Island peaked at this time employing over 40,000 people building warships and submarines, it now sits in ruins. It is a very compelling ghost town with a strange discomforting atmosphere. How will this next uncertain chapter of US history unfold? What will be swarmed, extracted or built? What will be abandoned in the future for the vultures to inherit?

Cass McCombs Tour Dates:

Fri. Jan. 20 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
Sat. Jan. 21 – Galway, IE @ Roisin Dubh
Mon. Jan. 23 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Tue. Jan. 24 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Wed. Jan. 25 – Hebden Bridge, UK @ Trades Club
Thu. Jan. 26 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt
Fri. Jan. 27 – Rouen, FR @ Museum Secq Tournelles
Sat. Jan. 28 – Cenon, FR @ Le Rocher de Palmer
Mon. Jan. 30 – San Sebastian, ES @ Donostia Kutxa Kultur Festibala
Tue. Jan. 31 – Orense, ES @ Auditorio de Orense
Wed. Feb. 1 – Ovar, PT @ Centro de Are de Ovar
Thu. Feb. 2 – Madrid, ES @ Teatro Lara
Fri. Feb. 3 – Valladolid, ES @ Sala Borja
Sat. Feb. 4 – Zaragoza, ES @ Las Armas
Sun. Feb. 5 – Barcelona, ES @ Centre Artesa Tradicionarius
Tue. Feb. 7 – Montpellier, FR @ Le Rockstore
Wed. Feb. 8 – Milan, IT @ Biko Club
Thu. Feb. 9 – Rome, IT @ Monk Club
Fri. Feb. 10 – Istanbul, TR @ Istanbul Kultur Sanat Vakfi (Salon IKSV)
Wed. Feb. 15 – Göteburg, SE @ Pustervik
Thu. Feb. 16 – Copenhagen, DE @ Frost Festival
Sat. Feb. 18 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoest
Mon. Feb. 20 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes
Tue. Feb. 21 – Leuven, BE @ Het Depot
Wed. Feb. 22 – Metz, FR @ Les Trinitaires
Thu. Feb. 23 – Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix
Wed. June 14 – Bergen, NO @ Bergenfest
Thu. June 22 – Vigeland, NO @ Jun Piknik I Parken Festival