Natalie Merchant begins her sold-out A Summer Evening With… tour of intimate, historic venues across the UK. This is her most far-reaching of the country to date and includes songs from throughout her career. "There's so much of Britain I've never seen," says Merchant. "I expect this summer's tour will satisfy my desire to explore those historic and scenic regions while meeting up with my fans who live there." She will then tour Ireland as special guest of Lúnasa.

Punch Brothers, whose new album, All Ashore, is out next Friday, July 20, kick off an extensive US summer tour at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina. There are some forty shows to follow across the country through September, from Charlotte to Chicago, New Orleans to New York City, Buffalo to Boise to Boston to Baton Rouge. Watch the band perform "Three Dots and a Dash" from Live From Here here.

David Byrne, Fleet Foxes play Roskilde, Rock Werchter festivals … Sam Amidon performs in Belgium as well … Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, Rajasthan Express begin Junun tour with Radiohead in Chicago … Kronos Quartet is in Slovakia … Lake Street Dive returns to New England … Brad Mehldau Trio, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman tour Europe ... Gaby Moreno hosts benefit concert in Brooklyn; Chris Thile performs … Rokia Traoré performs in France, Copenhagen …

Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, and the Rajasthan Express begin a month-long North American tour performing music from their album Junun as special guests of Radiohead with two nights of sold-out shows at the United Center in Chicago tonight and Saturday. The tour continues with four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC; two nights each in Montreal and Toronto; shows in Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh; and two nights each in Boston and Philadelphia. 

The Brad Mehldau Trio begins a tour of Europe in support of its new album, Seymour Reads the Constitution!, with a set at the Montreux Jazz Festival tonight. The month-long tour includes shows in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland, concluding back in France at Jazz in Marciac on July 29.

Chris Thile, Punch Brothers, Lake Street Dive are on Live From Here from Tanglewood; Emmylou Harris, Ry Cooder perform there too … David Byrne brings American Utopia to the Netherlands … Rhiannon Giddens plays ROMP fest … Kronos Quartet is at Caramoor … Pat Metheny continues quartet tour in Portugal … Robert Plant takes Carry Fire tour to Vancouver … Joshua Redman plays Still Dreaming in Midwest … Rokia Traoré performs in France …

Emmylou Harris and Punch Brothers return to Telluride Bluegrass Festival, where Chris Thile also hosts Live From Here … Laurie Anderson is artist in residence in Surfers Paradise, Australia … Tyondai Braxton is in Calgary … David Byrne brings American Utopia to Prague … Rhiannon Giddens brings Freedom Highway to New England … Lake Street Dive plays Ottawa Jazz Fest … The Magnetic Fields take 50 Song Memoir to Toronto … Robert Plant, Joshua Redman are out West …

David Byrne's American Utopia tour made its way to the UK for a week of sold-out shows, all met with rave reviews, starting with the NME's declaration: "The American Utopia tour may just be the best live show of all time." "An unforgettably unique, imaginative, and kaleidoscopically entrancing spectacle of music, dance, and theatre," exclaims the Telegraph. "This was something special." "One of the most mind-blowingly meticulous and awe-inspiring productions you could ever hope to see," says the Independent. "Perfection." "Daringly ambitious and full of joy," says the Evening Standard. "Mass exposure to his glorious, life-affirming American Utopia show alone would make the world a better place," says the Scotsman. "An extraordinary, ecstatic show."

Joshua Redman, Brian Blade, Scott Colley, and Ron Miles, whose new album, Still Dreaming, was released in May, performed at Jazz in Marciac last year. They have now shared a video from that performance of the non-album track "Walls-Bridges"; you can watch it here. The band will tour North America this year with shows in Cleveland, Minneapolis, Iowa City, Newport, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and more to come. Another group of which Redman is a part, James Farm, will tour Europe in October.

The Magnetic Fields bring 50 Song Memoir to NYC's Apollo Theater … Devendra Banhart brings his show to Bankok … Tyondai Braxton is in Asheville … David Byrne brings American Utopia to the UK … Rhiannon Giddens tours US Northeast … Kronos Quartet is at Holland Festival … Robert Plant plays Toronto, Chicago … Rostam joins The National in Ireland … Chris Thile is in California … and more …

Punch Brothers' first self-produced album, All Ashore, is due July 20, 2018, from Nonesuch, with the vinyl on September 7. The record includes nine original songs written by the band. "It's a meditation on committed relationships in the present day, particularly in the present political climate," says Chris Thile. Pre-order in the Nonesuch Store to download two songs now and get an exclusive print signed by the band. Watch a video for "It's All Part of the Plan," filmed in Nashville, here. Punch Brothers play the Telluride Bluegrass Festival on June 24 before embarking on a US tour.

Rostam, in London for back-to-back shows, stopped by BBC Radio 6 Music this morning to perform songs from his debut album, Half-Light, on Lauren Laverne's show and talk with her about the album and tour. "One of my favorite records of 2017," says Laverne of Half-Light, "absolutely phenomenal debut album." Hear it here. Rostam closes out his European spring tour in Dublin as special guest of The National on Saturday. He performs at the Newport Folk Festival with Hamilton Leithauser in July.