Robert Pollard Finished With Touring

(photo courtesy of Matt Stecker)

In a new article for Billboard online, Robert Pollard announced that he is hanging up the mic, packing away the piss bucket and quitting touring for the foreseeable future. "This is not to say I'll never play another show again, but this touring thing is too much," Pollard explains. "It's too hard to psychologically re-energize yourself each night."

In the article, Pollard also expresses his disappointment by the low turnout for certain shows with the Ascended Masters (as I recall hearing, the Bloomington, IN and Philadelphia shows were spotty). "With Guided By Voices, it didn't matter what day it was. What I'm doing now, in my opinion, is not only the same thing, I think it's a step up, even," Bob says. "But you get tired of beating your head against the wall."

Hard to blame the man. But it is sad and frustrating considering the NYC show at the Bowery Ballroom two weeks ago (review coming soon) was Bob and the band at the height of their powers- the best Bob show I've seen in many a year. One thing is for certain, I will be there for any and all one-off shows in the future...