Violent Femmes were founded in 1980 by bassist/multi-instrumentalist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor De Lorenzo. The name is a contradiction in terms, “Violent” being self-explanatory and “Femmes” being Milwaukee slang for wimp. The rhythm section added high school singer/songwriter Gordon Gano in 1981. Gano and Ritchie had previously performed together at Gano’s National Honor Society induction ceremony, where they caused a near riot. Gano was expelled from the Society and suspended from high school for this outrage. One of the only stable aspects of the band is their aversion to rehearsal. Due to this they would take the music to the streets in an attempt to hone it and earn some spare change. It was on one of these occasions that they were spotted by the Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and the gang were so amused by the Violent Femmes antics that they invited the band to open the show for them. The hometown Milwaukee audience received the Femmes with unanimous booing. However by the end of the set the Femmes had converted approximately 50% of the audience to their cause. Many years later Brian Ritchie encountered Hynde when the Femmes and Pretenders shared the bill at a radio concert. She said, “Oh, you’re still around.” The Femmes borrowed $10,000 from Victor De Lorenzo’s dad to record their legendary first album in 1982. Slash Records in Los Angeles was the only label to offer them a deal with the amazing advance of $0. The band accepted the deal and started on the predictable round of world tours, recording, more world tours, nervous breakdowns, band members quitting, solo albums, regrouping, more touring, divorces, more crackups, dropped from record deals, new deals, more touring, record company going bankrupt, lawsuits, etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum. Fast forward to the present. Many things have changed. One thing that hasn’t is the sound of the band. Their loose, improvisational, acoustic sound is timeless.
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October 19, 2025
Riverside Theater
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States1. Country Death Song
2. I Hear the Rain
3. Never Tell
4. Jesus Walking on the Water
5. I Know It's True but I'm Sorry to Say
6. Hallowed Ground
7. Sweet Misery Blues
8. Black Girls
9. It's Gonna Rain
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
6. Prove My Love
7. Promise
8. To the Kill
9. Gone Daddy Gone
10. Good Feeling
1.
2. American Music
October 18, 2025
Riverside Theater
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States1. Country Death Song
2. I Hear the Rain
3. Never Tell
4. Jesus Walking on the Water
5. I Know It's True but I'm Sorry to Say
6. Hallowed Ground
7. Sweet Misery Blues
8. Black Girls
9. It's Gonna Rain
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
6. Prove My Love
7. Promise
8. To the Kill
9. Gone Daddy Gone
10. Good Feeling
1. For All Those Who Love
2. American Music
October 17, 2025
The Salt Shed
Chicago, Illinois, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. I'm Nothing
8. Blister in the Sun
9. Kiss Off
10. Please Do Not Go
11. For All Those Who Love
12. Jesus Walking on the Water
13. Good Feeling
14. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
15. Gimme the Car
16. I Held Her in My Arms
17. Color Me Once
18. Black Girls
With band intros19. Gone Daddy Gone
20. Add It Up
21. Betrayal
22. American Music
October 16, 2025
Embassy Theatre
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United StatesOctober 15, 2025
Stage AE
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. Blister in the Sun
8. Kiss Off
9. Please Do Not Go
10. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
11. For All Those Who Love
12. Jesus Walking on the Water
13. I Held Her in My Arms
14. Good Feeling
15. Never Tell
16. I'm Nothing
17. Black Girls
18. Gone Daddy Gone
19. Add It Up
1. Betrayal
2. American Music
October 14, 2025
Santander Performing Arts Center
Reading, Pennsylvania, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Confessions
5. Memory
6. Blister in the Sun
7. Kiss Off
8. Please Do Not Go
9. For All Those Who Love
10. Country Death Song
11. Waiting for the Bus
12. Jesus Walking on the Water
13. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
14. Gimme the Car
15. I Held Her in My Arms
16. Color Me Once
17. Black Girls
18. Gone Daddy Gone
19. Add It Up
1. Betrayal
2. American Music
October 11, 2025
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Burlington, Vermont, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. Blister in the Sun
8. Kiss Off
9. Please Do Not Go
10. For All Those Who Love
Mentioned Taylor Swift at top of second verse, then forgot place in song and had to restart verse11. Jesus Walking on the Water
12. I Held Her in My Arms
13. Good Feeling
14. Never Tell
15. Fat
Request from fan with large red sign, first performance since 201916. Girl Trouble
17. I'm Nothing
18. Color Me Once
19. Black Girls
Band introductions20. Gone Daddy Gone
21. Add It Up
1. When the Autumn Leaves Start to Fall(Nat King Cole cover)
2. American Music
October 10, 2025
The Strand Ballroom & Theatre
Providence, Rhode Island, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. Confessions
8. Blister in the Sun
9.
10. Jesus Walking on the Water
11. Good Feeling
12. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
13. Gimme the Car
14. I Held Her in My Arms
15. Color Me Once
16. Black Girls
17. Gone Daddy Gone
18. Add It Up
1.
2. Betrayal
3. American Music
October 9, 2025
Chevalier Theatre
Medford, Massachusetts, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. Confessions
8. Blister in the Sun
9. Kiss Off
10. Jesus Walking on the Water
11. Good Feeling
12. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
13. Gimme the Car
14. I Held Her in My Arms
15.
16. Black Girls
w/ band intros17. Gone Daddy Gone
18. Add It Up
19. Betrayal
20. American Music
w/ Jeff DaRosa from Dropkick Murphys and his three kidsOctober 8, 2025
State Theatre
Portland, Maine, United States1. Olinguito
walk-in through the crowd2. Prove My Love
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Country Death Song
5. Waiting for the Bus
6. Blister in the Sun
7. Kiss Off
8. Jesus Walking on the Water
9. I Held Her in My Arms
10. Add It Up
11. Black Girls
12. Gone Daddy Gone
13. I'm Nothing
1. Betrayal
2. American Music
October 6, 2025
Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre
Red Bank, New Jersey, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3.
4. Life Is an Adventure
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. Blister in the Sun
8. Kiss Off
9. Rejoice and Be Happy
10. Jesus Walking on the Water
11. Good Feeling
12. Hallowed Ground
13. I'm Nothing
14. Gimme the Car
15. I Held Her in My Arms
16. Color Me Once
17. Black Girls
with band introductions18. Gone Daddy Gone
19. Add It Up
1. Betrayal
2. American Music
October 5, 2025
Lyric Theater
Baltimore, Maryland, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Country Death Song
6. Waiting for the Bus
7. Blister in the Sun
8. Kiss Off
9. Please Do Not Go
10. Rejoice and Be Happy
11. Jesus Walking on the Water
12. Good Feeling
13. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
14. I Held Her in My Arms
15. Betrayal
16. Color Me Once
17. I'm Nothing
18. Black Girls
19. Gone Daddy Gone
20. Add It Up
1. Gimme the Car
2. American Music
October 4, 2025
Capitol Theatre
Port Chester, New York, United States1. Olinguito
2. Prove My Love
3. Promise
4. Memory
5. Confessions
6. Country Death Song
7. Waiting for the Bus
8. Blister in the Sun
9. Kiss Off
10. Jesus Walking on the Water
11. Good Feeling
12. Never Tell
13. I Held Her in My Arms
14. For All Those Who Love
Live debut15. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
16. Black Girls
17. Gone Daddy Gone
18. Add It Up
1.
Introduced as ‘Spoon’?2. American Music
October 3, 2025
Grand Opera House
Wilmington, Delaware, United StatesJuly 13, 2025
Blue Note Summer Sessions
Napa, California, United States1. Prove My Love
2. Promise
3. All I Want
4. Country Death Song
5. It's Gonna Rain
6. Blister in the Sun
7. Kiss Off
8. Confessions
9. Jesus Walking on the Water
10. Good Feeling
11. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
12. I Held Her in My Arms
13. Color Me Once
14. I'm Nothing
15. Black Girls
w/band introduction16. New Generation
17. Happy Birthday to You(Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover)
18. Gone Daddy Gone
19. Add It Up
1. How to Kiss
2. Gimme the Car
3. American Music
July 11, 2025
T-Mobile Park
Seattle, Washington, United States1. Prove My Love
2. Promise
3. Breakin' Up
4. American Music
5. Blister in the Sun
6. Kiss Off
7. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
8. I Held Her in My Arms
9. Color Me Once
10. Black Girls
w/ band introductions11. Gone Daddy Gone
12. Gimme the Car
13. Add It Up
July 6, 2025
Wildhorse Saloon
Calgary, Alberta, Canada1. Prove My Love
2. Promise
3. Breakin' Up
4. Country Death Song
5. It's Gonna Rain
6. Blister in the Sun
7. Kiss Off
8. Please Do Not Go
9. Special
10. Look Like That
11. Jesus Walking on the Water
12. Good Feeling
13. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
14. I'm Nothing
15. Never Tell
16. I Held Her in My Arms
17. Color Me Once
18. Black Girls
19. Gone Daddy Gone
1. Gimme the Car
2. Add It Up
July 4, 2025
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
Montreal, Quebec, CanadaKevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies on accordion
1. Country Death Song
2. I Hear the Rain
3. Never Tell
4. Jesus Walking on the Water
5. I Know It's True but I'm Sorry to Say
6. Hallowed Ground
7. Sweet Misery Blues
8. Black Girls
9. It's Gonna Rain
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
6. Prove My Love
7. Promise
8. To the Kill
9. Gone Daddy Gone
10. Good Feeling
1. Life Is an Adventure
2. Danse Avec Moi(Cynthia Gayneau cover)
3. Happy Birthday to You(Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover)
4. I Held Her in My Arms
1. Gimme the Car
April 4, 2025
The Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park
Tallahassee, Florida, United States1. Add It Up
2. Confessions
3. Prove My Love
4. Promise
5. All I Want
6. Color Me Once
7. To the Kill
8. Gone Daddy Gone
9. Look Like That
10. No Killing
11. I Held Her in My Arms
12. I Wrote a Love Song Today
Live debut of a new song according to Gordon Gabo13. American Music
14. Kiss Off
15. Please Do Not Go
16. Traveling Solves Everything
Live Debut17. Gimme the Car
18. Add It Up (Reprise)
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Good Feeling
April 3, 2025
Cocoa Riverfront Park
Cocoa, Florida, United States1. Country Death Song
2. I Hear the Rain
3. Never Tell
4. Jesus Walking on the Water
5. I Know It's True but I'm Sorry to Say
6. Hallowed Ground
7. Sweet Misery Blues
8. Black Girls
9. It's Gonna Rain
10.
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
6. Prove My Love
7. Promise
8. To the Kill
9. Gone Daddy Gone
10. Good Feeling
1. Dance Motherfucker Dance(Voot Warnings cover)
2. American Music
Violent Femmes has 2 upcoming concerts. They will be performing in cities including Reno, Sacramento. Check the tour dates section for the complete schedule and ticket information.
You can purchase Violent Femmes concert tickets through our partner Ticketmaster. View all upcoming tour dates on this page and click on any event to see available tickets and seating options.
Some of Violent Femmes's most popular tracks include Blister In The Sun, Kiss Off, Add It Up, Gone Daddy Gone, Please Do Not Go. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.
Violent Femmes were founded in 1980 by bassist/multi-instrumentalist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor De Lorenzo. The name is a contradiction in terms, “Violent” being self-explanatory and “Femmes” be... Read the full biography on this page.
You can find Violent Femmes vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.
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