# Helplessness Blues Tour

The Helplessness Blues Tour was a world tour by Seattle folk band Fleet Foxes in support of their second album Helplessness Blues which was released on May 3, 2011. The tour visited North America, Europe, Oceania and Japan.

## Background

The Tour began in the band home town of Seattle, Washington before moving across the United States and Canada. A European leg was then announced which began in Berlin, Germany. This leg included three sold-out shows at London's Hammersmith Apollo. A second North American leg took place July 14 and July 24, 2011, with another European leg taking place from August 11–20. The Band performed at some of Europe's best known Festivals including the Glastonbury Festival and Rock Werchter. The fifth leg of the tour began with two shows at Seattle's Paramount Theatre, followed by a string of shows in the United States. A Third European leg took place in November–December 2011 before moving onto Australia for some festival shows. A short Japanese leg also took place in January 2012. Two New Zealand shows were announced on September 5. Australian headline shows were also announced for January 2012.

## Example set list

* "The Cascades"
* "Grown Ocean"
* "Drops in the River"
* "Battery Kinzie"
* "Bedouin Dress"
* "Sim Sala Bim"
* "Mykonos"
* "Your Protector"
* "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song"
* "White Winter Hymnal"
* "Ragged Wood"
* "Lorelai"
* "Montezuma"
* "He Doesn't Know Why"
* "The Shrine/An Argument"
* "Blue Spotted Tail"
* "Blue Ridge Mountains"

### Encore

* "Oliver James"
* "Helplessness Blues"
Source:

## Support acts

* The Cave Singers (Leg 1, North America—select dates)
* The Bees (Leg 2 & 4, Europe—select dates)
* Owen Pallett (Leg 2, Europe—select dates)
* Alela Diane (Leg 3, North America)
* The Walkmen (Leg 5, North America—select dates)
* Bon Iver (Leg 5, North America—select dates)
* Van Dyke Parks (Leg 5, North America—select dates)
* Vetiver (Leg 6, Europe—select dates)

## Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| Leg 1: North America ||||
| April 15, 2011 | Seattle | United States | Columbia City Theatre |
| April 29, 2011 | Vancouver | Canada | Vogue Theatre |
| April 30, 2011 | Vancouver | Canada | Vogue Theatre |
| May 1, 2011 | Portland | United States | Crystal Ballroom |
| May 2, 2011 | Seattle | United States | Moore Theatre |
| May 3, 2011 | Seattle | United States | Moore Theatre |
| May 5, 2011 | Oakland | United States | Fox Oakland Theatre |
| May 6, 2011 | San Diego | United States | Spreckels Theater |
| May 7, 2011 | Los Angeles | United States | Hollywood Palladium |
| May 8, 2011 | Tucson | United States | Rialto Theatre |
| May 10, 2011 | Austin | United States | Stubb's Bar-B-Q |
| May 11, 2011 | Dallas | United States | Palladium Ballroom |
| May 13, 2011 | Nashville | United States | Ryman Auditorium |
| May 14, 2011 | Atlanta | United States | The Tabernacle |
| May 15, 2011 | Washington, D.C. | United States | DAR Constitution Hall |
| May 18, 2011 | New York City | United States | United Palace |
| May 19, 2011 | New York City | United States | United Palace |
| May 21, 2011 | Upper Darby Township | United States | Tower Theater |
| Leg 2: Europe ||||
| May 25, 2011 | Berlin | Germany | C-Halle |
| May 26, 2011 | Dachau | Germany | Rathausplatz |
| May 28, 2011 | Barcelona | Spain | Parc del Fòrum Leisure Site |
| May 30, 2011 | Paris | France | Bataclan |
| May 31, 2011 | London | England | Hammersmith Apollo |
| June 1, 2011 | London | England | Hammersmith Apollo |
| June 2, 2011 | London | England | Hammersmith Apollo |
| June 23, 2011 | Wolverhampton | England | Wolverhampton Civic Hall |
| June 24, 2011 | Pilton | England | Worthy Farm |
| June 25, 2011 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Cathedral Quarter |
| June 26, 2011 | Cork | Ireland | The Docklands |
| June 28, 2011 | Manchester | England | Apollo |
| June 29, 2011 | Edinburgh | Scotland | Corn Exchange |
| July 1, 2011 | St Blazey | England | Eden Project |
| July 3, 2011 | Werchter | Belgium | Werchter Festival Grounds |
| July 4, 2011 | Paris | France | Salle Pleyel |
| July 6, 2011 | Poznań | Poland | Lake Malta |
| July 8, 2011 | Oeiras | Portugal | Algés Riverside |
| July 10, 2011 | Turku | Finland | Ruissalo Island |
| Leg 3: North America ||||
| July 14, 2011 | Toronto | Canada | Massey Hall |
| July 16, 2011 | Chicago | United States | Union Park |
| July 17, 2011 | Minneapolis | United States | State Theatre |
| July 18, 2011 | Kansas City | United States | Uptown Theater |
| July 19, 2011 | St. Louis | United States | The Pageant |
| July 21, 2011 | Denver | United States | Fillmore Auditorium |
| July 22, 2011 | Salt Lake City | United States | Red Butte Garden and Arboretum |
| July 23, 2011 | Boise | United States | Knitting Factory |
| July 24, 2011 | Troutdale | United States | McMenamins Edgefield Manor |
| Leg 4: Europe ||||
| August 11, 2011 | Oslo | Norway | Middelalderparken |
| August 12, 2011 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Slottsskogen |
| August 13, 2011 | Rees-Haldern | Germany | Festival Grounds |
| August 14, 2011 | Saint-Malo | France | Festival Grounds |
| August 16, 2011 | Brighton | England | Brighton Dome |
| August 18, 2011 | Hasselt | Belgium | Kiewit |
| August 19, 2011 | Biddinghuizen | Netherlands | Spijk en Bremerberg |
| August 20, 2011 | Brecon Beacons | Wales | Glanusk Park Estate |
| Leg 5: North America ||||
| September 6, 2011 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| September 7, 2011 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| September 9, 2011 | Reno | United States | Grand Sierra Resort |
| September 10, 2011 | Berkeley | United States | Hearst Greek Theatre |
| September 11, 2011 | Big Sur | United States | Henry Miller Library |
| September 13, 2011 | Santa Barbara | United States | Santa Barbara Bowl |
| September 14, 2011 | Los Angeles | United States | Greek Theatre |
| September 15, 2011 | Phoenix | United States | Comerica Theatre |
| September 17, 2011 | Tulsa | United States | Cain's Ballroom |
| September 18, 2011 | Austin | United States | Zilker Park |
| September 20, 2011 | Jacksonville | United States | Florida Theatre |
| September 21, 2011 | Raleigh | United States | Raleigh Amphitheatre |
| September 23, 2011 | Columbia | United States | Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| September 24, 2011 | New York City | United States | Williamsburg Waterfront |
| September 25, 2011 | Holyoake | United States | Mountain Park |
| September 28, 2011 | Cleveland | United States | Masonic Auditorium |
| September 29, 2011 | Ann Arbor | United States | Hill Auditorium |
| September 30, 2011 | Chicago | United States | Chicago Theatre |
| October 1, 2011 | Chicago | United States | Chicago Theatre |
| October 3, 2011 | Birmingham | United States | Alabama Theatre |
| October 4, 2011 | Asheville | United States | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium |
| October 5, 2011 | Louisville | United States | The Louisville Palace |
| Leg 6: Europe ||||
| November 5, 2011 | Bergen | Norway | Grieg Hall |
| November 6, 2011 | Oslo | Norway | Sentrum Scene |
| November 8, 2011 | Stockholm | Sweden | Annexet |
| November 9, 2011 | Malmö | Sweden | K.B. Hallen |
| November 10, 2011 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Falconer Theatre |
| November 11, 2011 | Weissenhäuser Strand | Germany | Rolling Stone Weekender |
| November 13, 2011 | Katowice | Poland | Kozrywki Theatre |
| November 14, 2011 | Zagreb | Croatia | Tvornica |
| November 15, 2011 | Vienna | Austria | Museumsquartier |
| November 17, 2011 | Rome | Italy | Atlántico |
| November 19, 2011 | Bologna | Italy | Estragon |
| November 20, 2011 | Milan | Italy | Teatro Smeraldo |
| November 21, 2011 | Zürich | Switzerland | Komplex 457 |
| November 22, 2011 | Fribourg | Switzerland | Fri-Son |
| November 24, 2011 | Bilbao | Spain | Santana 27 |
| November 25, 2011 | Madrid | Spain | La Riviera |
| November 26, 2011 | Cartagena | Spain | Jazz Festival |
| November 27, 2011 | Barcelona | Spain | L'Auditori |
| November 29, 2011 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Heineken Music Hall |
| November 30, 2011 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National |
| December 1, 2011 | Leeds | England | O2 Academy Leeds |
| December 2, 2011 | Minehead | England | Butlin's Minehead |
| Leg 7: Oceania ||||
| December 29, 2011 | Lorne | Australia | Festival Grounds |
| December 30, 2011 | Marion Bay | Australia | Festival Grounds |
| January 2, 2012 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Opera House |
| January 3, 2012 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Opera House |
| January 4, 2012 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Opera House |
| January 6, 2012 | Melbourne | Australia | Palais Theatre |
| January 7, 2012 | Busselton | Australia | Sir Stewart Bovell Park |
| January 8, 2012 | Busselton | Australia | Sir Stewart Bovell Park |
| January 10, 2012 | Brisbane | Australia | Tivoli |
| January 11, 2012 | Brisbane | Australia | Tivoli |
| January 13, 2012 | Wellington | New Zealand | Hunter Lodge |
| January 14, 2012 | Auckland | New Zealand | Auckland Town Hall |
| Leg 8: Asia ||||
| January 17, 2012 | Osaka | Japan | Big cat |
| January 18, 2012 | Nagoya | Japan | Club Quattro |
| January 20, 2012 | Tokyo | Japan | Studio Coast |

### Box office score data

| Venue | City | No. of Shows | Tickets sold / available | Gross revenue |
| Stubb's Bar-B-Q | Austin | 1 | 2,200 / 2,200 (100%) | $61,680 |
| DAR Constitution Hall | Washington, D.C. | 1 | 3,500 / 3,500 (100%) | $117,619 |
| Columbiahalle | Berlin | 1 | 3,167 / 3,500 (90%) | $97,826 |
| State Theatre | Minneapolis | 1 | 2,054 / 2,054 (100%) | $60,593 |
| Knitting Factory | Boise | 1 | 994 / 994 (100%) | $27,366 |
| Hearst Greek Theatre | Berkeley | 1 | 6,694 / 7000 (96%) | $264,207 |
| Santa Barbara Bowl | Santa Barbara | 1 | 2,250 / 4,059 (55%) | $68,725 |
| Greek Theatre | Los Angeles | 1 | 4,979 / 5,849 (85%) | $176,395 |
| Williamsburg Waterfront | Brooklyn | 1 | 7,000 / 7,000 (100%) | $276,500 |
| Hill Auditorium | Ann Arbor | 1 | 3,356 / 3,356 (100%) | $114,104 |
| Chicago Theatre | Chicago | 2 | 6,878 / 6,878 (100%) | $240,730 |
| Alabama Theatre | Birmingham | 1 | 1,723 / 2,062 (84%) | $55,958 |

## Fleet Foxes

* Robin Pecknold: lead vocals, guitar
* Skyler Skjelset: lead guitar, mandolin
* Christian Wargo: bass guitar, vocals
* Casey Wescott: Keyboard, mandolin, vocals
* Joshua Tillman: drums, vocals, arrangements
* Morgan Henderson: multi-instrumentalist, arrangements