(SM) 90's Alt. Rock heroes Letters to Cleo will be headed out on the road for their annual fall tour with stops on both coasts, ending with a two-night run at the Paradise in their hometown of Boston. This tour marks the 25th anniversary of the classic teen rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You, which catapulted the band into the pop culture zeitgeist. Letters to Cleo played themselves in the film, the favorite band of main character Kat Strafford played by Julia Stiles. The band performed two covers, Nick Lowes's "Cruel to Be Kind" and Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me," which the New York Times' Amplifier newsletter recently named the number one most unforgettable song from 1999 Movies. To celebrate the anniversary the band will sell limited edition copies of the soundtrack on all tour stops. For the two Boston shows, the band will play an "At the Movies Set," that will feature fan-favorite Cleo songs that were featured in cult classic films, including The Craft, Jawbreaker, Josie & the Pussycats and 10 Things I Hate About You.
This pop culture anniversary comes on the heels of the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's debut album, Aurora Gory Alice, released in 1993. 2023 also saw the release of the band's first new music in 5 years, a split 7-inch featuring the new songs "Bad Man" on the A-Side and "It's Sunny Outside" that was released digitally and on tri-color splatter vinyl sold exclusively on their annual fall tour.
Letters to Cleo was formed in Boston in 1990 and led by guitarist Greg Mckenna and singer Kay Hanley. This upcoming tour will feature original members Kay Hanley (vocals), Michael Eisenstein (guitar), Greg McKenna (guitar), and Stacy Jones (drums), along with longtime collaborator Joe Klompus on bass. Aurora Gory Alice, the band's debut album, was initially released on CherryDisc Records in 1993. The albums received loads of press attention and local radio play around New England which led to the band signing to Giant Records and the re-release of Aurora Gory Alice in 1994. The album's song "Here and Now'' became an instant hit after appearing on the soundtrack for the wildly popular 90s TV show Melrose Place. The song reached #10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Singles chart, was in the top 100 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. To this day, "Here & Now" continues to be a fan favorite and one of their most popular songs.
The band's music could be heard on many of the top TV shows and films throughout the 1990s, including the cult classic 10 Things I Hate About You, where the band contributed 4 songs to the soundtrack and was featured in the film. The band played its last show in 2000, and each member went on to have successful careers working in different areas of music, from production, writing, performance, musical directing etc. The band was thrust back into the pop culture spotlight via a cameo in Parks and Recreation, playing themselves, the obsession of the show's state auditor Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott. The band achieved the pinnacle of pop culture validation as a subject in a Sunday version of a New York Times crossword puzzle. Letters to Cleo reunited in 2016 for the release of Back to Nebraska EP, their first release in 17 years.
TOUR DATES
(On Sale Friday September 13th)
Nov. 15 Ventura Music Hall Ventura, CA
Nov. 16 The Venice West Venice, CA
Nov. 21 Space Ballroom Hamden, CT
Nov. 22 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
Nov. 23 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
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