Tea in the Tear Garden: Legendary Act Tour For The First Time

In summer 1992, the 16-year-old version of myself was perusing the secondhand offerings of Grunts & Postures, Salt Lake City’s legendary vintage clothing store, when I heard The Tear Garden’s The Last Man to Fly’s “Romulus And Venus” and knew that the velvet jackets and pointy-toed boots could wait. I had to own the album, even if it left the employee behind the counter disgruntled because we hadn’t made it to “Love Notes & Carnations” yet. 

It’s likely that I — a fan of Skinny Puppy who was at least aware of The Legendary Pink Dots — would have eventually discovered The Tear Garden on my own. But there was something magical about that moment: a strange force dictating that my introduction to cEvin Key and Edward Ka-Spel’s side project had to happen between the racks of kitsch and glamor. It simply was time.

Now, more than three decades later, I’m sitting in front of my laptop talking to Key and Ka-Spel as they have lunch at Key’s home. It’s an absurd moment that, unfortunately, has been lost to the realm of corrupted files and my negligence in making a backup recording. The exact quotes are lost, but the conversation remains clear. Age hasn’t completely ravaged my short-term memory.

Key and Ka-Spel always intended to take The Tear Garden out of the studio and onto the road, but Key’s commitment to Skinny Puppy and Ka-Spel’s involvement with The Legendary Pink Dots made things difficult. The costs and general logistics of touring were factors as well. It seemed there was always something that kept the idea from manifesting.

In December 2023, Skinny Puppy played its last show at the Belasco in Los Angeles. The “old dog” was put to bed. In the aftermath, Key immediately began working on new material for Ka-Spel. He expected the writing process to be prolonged but was surprised when the band returned an essentially complete album based on his initial instrumental tracks.

The result was 2025’s Astral Elevator, a fantastic electronic release that mixes experimental soundscapes with proper pop songs. Well, “pop” in the sense that they are structured more traditionally and could serve as the soundtrack to a post-dystopian world emerging from its self-inflicted demise. I submit “A Return” and “A Developing World” as proof of my thesis.

Following the release of the album, Key — who will be playing drums on the tour — began to prepare for the possibility of a tour by spending hours behind his drumkit. This tour wasn’t born from a Cold Waves festival offer or some outside force; it came from within. 

Tasked with assembling a setlist from 40 years of recordings, Key and Ka-Spel say they’re particularly fond of the new material because it’s top-of-mind, but promise that every era of the band will be represented. Neither is ready — or willing — to share which songs will be included. You’ll have to show up to find out.

The duo explain that rehearsals have gone incredibly well, they’ve discovered a flexibility that will allow the songs to evolve as the tour progresses. The arrangements played in Los Angeles might be quite different from what is heard in Chicago or Montreal. Key insists that it is the most live performance he’s ever been a part of.

I suggest the occasion calls for a live album. Ka-Spel is focused on the live evolution of the songs. Key is more direct: an official live recording is likely. What form that album might take, however, is left to linger among the now-empty dishes where sandwiches used to be.

Our conversation closes and ascends into the digital nothingness of the clouds. It happened. I was there. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. The same can be said about the band’s upcoming sixteen opportunities to see what was once thought impossible: The Tear Garden playing live. 

The Tear Garden plays the Urban Lounge Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.

Read more by Ryan Michael Painter:
Nitzer Ebb @ The Urban Lounge 08.29.2026
Sarah McLachlan @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 07.30.2026

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