Innovative post-rock band Tortoise to perform at Singletary Center
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2025) — The Singletary Center for the Arts continues its "Season of Innovation" with a performance by Chicago instrumental quintet Tortoise, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the Singletary Center Concert Hall.
Louisville’s Jungle Boogie and Lexington’s Movie Jail will open the show.
Tortoise is widely considered one of the most influential music groups of the last 40 years, with a far-reaching impact on the contemporary music scene through a combination of rock, jazz, dub and electronic music styles. The band, which originally formed in Chicago, comprises Jeff Parker, Dan Bitney, Douglas McCombs, John Herndon and John McEntire. Initially hailed as pacesetters of the then-emerging “post-rock” sound, Tortoise has a sound described by the Chicago Tribune as “mood music that refuses to be shoved into the background, as inviting as it is challenging.”
Tortoise has steadily and intuitively evolved across its life, creating genreless music that is as timeless as it is ahead of the curve. Rolling Stone deems Tortoise “a live marvel,” while Pitchfork further says the band’s performances reveal that “at heart, they’re a supremely fun band, wide open to all sorts of sonic possibilities.”
Tortoise is touring in support of its new album, “Touch,” released Oct. 24 as a joint venture between International Anthem and Nonesuch Records. “Touch” is the band’s first new full-length release in nearly a decade. The performance in Lexington will be one of only three United States cities in which the group will perform live concerts before it goes on a lengthy European tour.
Jungle Boogie is the solo project of Ken Brown. Brown was an original member of Tortoise and remained a frequent collaborator with members of the group in other side projects, most notably Bastro, Gastr del Sol and Pullman.
Movie Jail is a Lexington-based sextet performing the compositions of bandleader Dave Cobb. Its 2023 self-titled LP was mixed by Tortoise’s John McEntire and was lauded for its “irresistible pop melody” and “glassy vibraphone above frenetic guitars” by Under the Radar.
Tickets are $39 for adults and $23 for students, and can be purchased online at singletarycenter.com, by phone at 859-257-4929, or by visiting the SCFA Ticket Office in person, Monday through Friday from noon-5p.m. All ages are welcome.
A part of the UK College of Fine Arts, the Singletary Center for the Arts presents and hosts around 400 artistic, cultural and educational events annually for the university community, Lexington community and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Find a performance you’ll love at www.singletarycenter.com.
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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.