Armor For Sleep 2020
[Photo by: Deadbolt Photos]

Armor For Sleep to reunite for ‘What To Do When You Are Dead’ tour

Over the weekend, Armor For Sleep sparked reunion tour rumors thanks to a cryptic static-filled clip. Now, the band are confirming the theories are true with the announcement of a 15-year anniversary tour for their sophomore album What To Do When You Are Dead.

Armor For Sleep embarked on what would become their final tour in 2008 supporting Linkin Park at Projekt Revolution. They announced their disbandment in 2009 after 8 years and three full-lengths—the last of which was 2007’s Smile For Them.

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The New Jersey emo act first reunited in 2012 at their home state’s Bamboozle to officially close the chapter on the band.

“At the end, there was a lot of disappointment and it was a weird situation for all of us, and we just kind of walked away from it and didn’t actually stay in touch with each other that whole time,” frontman Ben Jorgensen told AltPress in 2012 ahead of their initial return.

Bamboozle began in Asbury Park in 2003, moving to East Rutherford from 2006 to 2011. The 2012 iteration returned to Asbury Park, marking the final year for the festival. With no new music plans in 2012, Jorgensen clarified the Bamboozle return was a way for them to get closure.

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“I definitely know for sure that there’s not any new Armor For Sleep music that we’re going to work on,” Jorgensen continued. “This is more of [us] just putting an end to a chapter in our lives, and we feel like Bamboozle is doing a throwback by going back to Asbury Park. In that spirit, we feel like, for some people who didn’t get a chance to see our last show, this would be a great time to give them a chance because things ended so abruptly.”

Since leaving full-time touring, Jorgensen released one solo album in 2010 and has popped up at emo DJ events. He also married actress Katrina Bowden (Sex Drive, 30 Rock) in 2013 who has appeared in videos from Panic! At The Disco (“Miss Jackson”) and Fall Out Boy (“Dance Dance”), the latter of which Jorgensen also has a cameo in. The couple recently collaborated on a short film, PRIME, with Bowden starring and Jorgensen writing, directing and scoring the music.

Guitarist P.J. DeCicco had a brief stint in Love Automatic alongside former Senses Fail bassist/vocalist Mike Glita. Since then, he’s embarked on a real estate career, becoming co-president of The DeCicco Group. As for Nash Breen, he founded New York Rivals in 2011 before moving on to the Cold Seas where he currently holds it down on drums.

In 2015, Armor For Sleep announced an 8-date run for 10 years of What To Do When You Are Dead, some of which were supported by Breen and the Cold Seas. Now, the band—Jorgensen, Breen, DeCicco and bassist Anthony Dilonno—are returning to celebrate 15 years with another string of dates.

“I started Armor for Sleep when I was an anti-social 17-year-old,” frontman Ben Jorgensen reflects ahead of their 2020 return. “I had no band members, just a band name and a couple songs I recorded in a studio by myself. I honestly had no grand plan for the band, but when people started reacting to the first demos that were recorded, I was just kind of curious to see where it would go. I was very happy and fortunate to have recruited Anthony, P.J., and Nash who would all share in the band and in the creative process with me.”

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What To Do When You Are Dead is the thing we created that never seems to go away,” he continues. “For me, personally, revisiting the album is a bookmark to a time in my life that would ultimately shape everything about the person that I am today. We are all extremely humbled that this album has meant so much to so many people over the years, and we’re honored that we’re going to get the chance to come back again and play some shows to celebrate it and rock out with everyone.”

Tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. local time. You can snag yours here and check out a full list of dates below.

 

Dates:

06/18 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
06/19 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
06/20 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
06/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
06/27 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
06/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
07/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theatre
07/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
07/11 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
07/23 – Dallas, TX @ Dada
07/24 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
07/25 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
08/07 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
08/08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Hell
08/09 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
08/13 – Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
08/14 – Chicago, IL @ The Metro
08/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café

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