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Exene Cervenka Calls Off Tour for Health Reasons
Exene Cervenka performing at SXSW on March 16, 2011 (photo by nickmickolas via flickr)
Exene Cervenka cancelled the remaining dates on her solo tour citing health concerns, according to a statement by her label, Bloodshot Records. The 55-year-old singer, songwriter and artist has continued touring with her bandmates of 35 years in X and in support of her latest solo album in spite of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2009.
She discussed her condition last month with Spinner:
"I'm better than I should be doing," she says. "It's a weird disease. I've been doing 16 years of neurology. One doctor in California diagnosed me, then did a bunch of tests and now is not sure. Regardless, I don't have the money for medication, and I don't have insurance, so I can't act like I'm sick. I have to pretend that I'm not. I just ignore it. I do. It comes and goes. You're fine, and then all of a sudden it hits."
Cervenka certainly keeps busy, with a childrens' book on the way and new paintings, in addition to last month's release of her third solo album, Excitement of Maybe.“I like to have control,” “I wrote the music, co-produced the record and chose who was going to be on the record. I’m not just a songwriter,” she told SD CityBEAT this week. "I only write about real people.... You write in isolation in a bad state of mind. You work on it. You give it to the world. And that’s it.”
The Excitement of Maybe tour, which included stops in Austin during SXSW, was scheduled hit Southern California next week with shows at The Casbah in San Diego, Alex's Bar in Long Beach, and at Hotel Cafe. The shows will go on as scheduled with opener Kevin Seconds, originally from the Sacramento hardcore band Seven Seconds, remaining on the bill.
A string of performances by X side project The Knitters is scheduled for next month and X expects to announce summer tour dates soon, according to the band's website.
Here's hoping that Exene gets well enough to return to the stage soon!
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Exene Cervenka performs at the Yard Dog Art Gallery during SXSW 2011:
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