deertick6971Providence based rockers Deer Tick will return to Massachusetts this week for shows in Boston and on the Vineyard.   Heavily praised for the authentic raw energy of their live shows, Deer Tick has steadily developed a devoted fan base since debuting War Elephant in 2007. The band recently spent a few weeks in Portland, Oregon recording their forthcoming album Negativity, a darker follow-up to the band’s 2011 release, Divine Providence.

Front man John McCauley discussed the focus and weight of the new project in a recent Rolling Stone article, attributing the darker tone to his own experiences coming to terms with both a dissolving relationship and the separation of his own parents.  “It’s a very dark record. There’s nothing silly about it.”

Deer Tick will play aboard the Mass Bay Lines MV Freedom on Sunday, June 9th on a sold out Rock On! Concert Cruise lasting from 4 to 7 p.m on the Boston Harbor.  The band plays the following night at Martha’s Vineyard Flatbread Company in Edgartown, MA.  Local favorites Dukes County Love Affair will open at the revived airport venue.  Tickets are still available at ticketsmv.com for the 9:30 show.                                                    Miles Curran