Elephant Micah
Locals Only
Monday, April 2, 8:30 p.m.

This April, Indiana native and Elephant Micah frontman Joe O’Connell will set off on what he describes as a “do-it-yourself” tour of Europe, his second so far. He and tourmate Justin Vollmar plan to rely solely on people living in the cities where they perform to set up shows and even give them a place to crash for the night.

“Justin and I aren’t plugged into the world of record labels and booking agents,” says O’Connell, who sounds like Neil Young with a hint of My Morning Jacket’s reverb. “We’re grateful to have this kind of direct relationship with people who truly put music first.”

With their DIY touring method and their reliance upon fans of their music to help them out, Vollmar and O’Connell will encounter the type of situations that make touring more exciting — experiences that the structure of a record label or a booking agent might prevent.

“I spent a morning in Glasgow helping [to] pilot a canal boat and strumming chords for a mobile Beatles sing-along, if you can imagine that,” O’Connell says.

Before heading to Europe, Elephant Micah and Vollmar will perform Monday, April 2 at Locals Only — a proper send-off from their home state and their last U.S. gig before the three-week tour.