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Public recordCompiled from 12 credited sources · Updated Sep 24, 2026

Nels Cline

Jazz band from Los Angeles, CA · formed 1956

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Nels Cline photo
Photo from the public record
Shows on record
36
Rooms played
30
Cities
20
Releases
35
Last show
Mar 12, 2026Brooklyn Bowl

About

Nels Cline is a band from Los Angeles, CA, formed in 1956, tagged avant-garde jazz, contemporary jazz, experimental by its sources. Shows on record run from 1998 to 2026, across 30 rooms in 20 cities.

The summary is assembled from the record fields and shows on this page; each fact listed names its source. See Sources & corrections for what each source supplied.

Shows

36 on record · Songkick, archive etree
No upcoming shows on record.Know of one? Tell us

Shows per year

  1. 19981 show
  2. 20001 show
  3. 20032 shows
  4. 20062 shows
  5. 20071 show
  6. 20081 show
  7. 20092 shows
  8. 20121 show
  9. 20132 shows
  10. 20142 shows
  11. 20155 shows
  12. 20171 show
  13. 20186 shows
  14. 20191 show
  15. 20211 show
  16. 20221 show
  17. 20231 show
  18. 20242 shows
  19. 20251 show
  20. 20262 shows
Show history
DateVenue
Mar 12, 2026Brooklyn Bowl · BrooklynSupportwith John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Skerik
Feb 25, 2026Pioneer Works · BrooklynHeadlinerwith Lee Ranaldo, Jimmy Rip, Yuka Honda
Jul 23, 2025Brooklyn Bowl · BrooklynSupportwith Eric Slick, Cass McCombs, Kevin Morby
Oct 16, 2024Solar Myth · PhiladelphiaHeadliner
Feb 10, 2024Solar Myth · PhiladelphiaHeadliner
Sep 23, 2023SPACE · EvanstonSupportwith Amendola Vs. Blades, Skerik, Cyro Baptista
May 27, 2022Mass MoCA · North AdamsSupportwith Solid Sound, Wilco, Sylvan Esso, +20
Jul 17, 2021Mass MoCA · North AdamsSupportwith Jeff Tweedy
Apr 17, 2019Little Harpeth Brewing · NashvilleHeadliner
Dec 29, 2018Sony Hall · New York (NYC)Supportwith Skerik, Billy Martin, MonoNeon
Aug 9, 2018Headliner's Music Hall · LouisvilleHeadliner
Aug 9, 2018Headliners Music Hall · LouisvilleHeadliner
Jun 23, 2018The Habitat · KelownaSupportwith Thumbscrew
Jun 22, 2018Mississippi Studios · PortlandHeadlinerwith Scott Amendola
Jun 15, 2018Le Poisson Rouge · ManhattanHeadlinerwith Joan As Police Woman, Toshi Reagon, Yonatan Gat, +8
Jan 21, 2017Black Cat · WashingtonSupportwith Antibalas, Superhuman Happiness, Trixie Whitley, +4
Dec 6, 2015The Bell House · BrooklynSupportwith Landlady, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, Nick Hakim, +6
Oct 3, 2015Golden Gate Park · San FranciscoSupportwith Lera Lynn, Rayna Gellert, Pokey LaFarge, +11
Oct 2, 2015Golden Gate Park · San FranciscoSupportwith Lera Lynn, Pokey LaFarge, Indigo Girls, +21
Jul 27, 2015Iridium · New York (NYC)Headlinerwith Scott Amendola, Les Paul Trio
Mar 28, 2015Downtown Knoxville · KnoxvilleSupportwith Wu Man, Kronos Quartet, Tanya Tagaq, +13
Feb 23, 2014Moods · ZürichSupportwith BB&C, Tim Berne, Jim Black
Feb 20, 2014Copenhagen Jazzhouse · CopenhagenSupportwith BB&C, Tim Berne, Jim Black
Jun 10, 2013Shapeshifter Lab · BrooklynSupportwith Fork, BB&C, Tim Berne, +3
Jan 16, 2013The Mint · Los Angeles (LA)Supportwith Eric McFadden, Mike Watt, Curt Bisquera, +1
May 7, 2012Shapeshifter Lab · BrooklynSupportwith Tim Berne, Jim Black, BB&C
May 10, 2009The Stone · New York (NYC)Supportwith Karl Blau
Mar 16, 2009Café du Nord · San FranciscoSupportwith The Good Life, Ben Goldberg, Scott Amendola
Sep 12, 2008The Knitting Factory - TriBeCa · New York (NYC)Headlinerwith Edison Glass, Norton Wisdom, Thurston Moore, +3
Oct 26, 2007The Attic · Santa CruzSupportwith Scott Amendola, Jeff Parker, Kelli Hanson
Sep 20, 2006Black Cat · WashingtonSupportwith Glenn Kotche, Lambchop
Jul 30, 2006Pitchfork Fest · ChicagoHeadliner
Jul 14, 2003Bacar · San Francisco CAHeadliner
May 30, 2003Edinburgh Castle · San Francisco CAHeadliner
Nov 26, 2000Knitting Factory - Los Angeles · HollywoodSupportwith Beck, Tenacious D, The Go-Go's, +10
Jun 14, 1998Bottom of the Hill · San FranciscoSupportwith Scarnella, Double U, Scott Amendola, +4

Where they play

30 rooms in 20 cities

Rooms played most

Cities played

  • Brooklyn6 shows
  • New York (NYC)4 shows
  • San Francisco4 shows
  • Louisville2 shows
  • North Adams2 shows

and 15 other cities

Releases

35 releases, 1981–2025

  • Consentrik Quartet

    2025

  • Trio Of Bloom

    2025

  • The Light Is Real

    2023

  • Seven Limbs

    2021

  • Nels Cline, Alan Licht & William Hooker Live

    2020

  • Bow Shoulder

    2020

  • Music From The Early 21st Century

    2020

  • Gowanus Sessions II

    2020

  • What Is To Be Done

    2019

  • Quartet (New Haven) 2014

    2019

  • Lovers

    2016 · Album

  • Accidental Sky

    2015 · Album

  • Room

    2014 · Album

  • The Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2

    2014 · Album

  • Jazz Free

    2012 · Album

  • Open the Door

    2012 · Album

  • The Gowanus Session

    2012 · Album

  • DIRTY BABY

    2010 · Album

  • Floored By Four

    2010 · Album

  • Coward

    2009 · Album

  • Downpour

    2007 · Album

  • New Monastery: A View into the Music of Andrew Hill

    2006 · Album

  • Immolation/Immersion

    2005 · Album

  • Ash and Tabula. Out Trios Volume Three

    2004 · Album

  • Buried on Bunker Hill

    2004 · Album

  • Graduation

    2004 · Album

  • The Entire Time

    2004 · Album

  • Destroy All Nels Cline

    2001 · Album

  • The Inkling

    2000 · Album

  • Interstellar Space Revisted: The Music of John Coltrane

    1999 · Album

  • Edible Flowers

    1998 · Album

  • Rise Pumpkin Rise

    1998 · Album

  • Pillow Wand

    1997 · Album

  • Angelica

    1988 · Album

  • Elegies

    1981 · Album

Lineup

  • Wilco · guitar
  • Scarnella
  • Damsel
  • The Nels Cline Singers · electric guitar, eponymous
  • The Geraldine Fibbers
  • Banyan
  • The Million Dollar Bashers
  • Fig
  • Big Walnuts Yonder
  • The Nels Cline 4 · guitar
  • Exoterm
  • Alex Cline Ensemble
  • Nels Cline Trio
  • The Black Gang
  • The Good Life · guitar
  • CUP
  • Stretch Woven · guitar
  • Floored By Four
  • West Coast Modern Day Punk Rock Orchestra
  • Willing Victim
  • The Vinny Golia Quintet
  • Saccata Quartet
  • Go: Organic Guitar Orchestra · electric guitar
  • Rova Channeling Coltrane · electric guitar
  • Trio of Bloom
  • Medeski, Martin, Metzger & Cline · eponymous
  • Medeski, Cline, Moore & Skerik · eponymous, guitar
  • Hellride Way West · electric guitar

Airplay

  • KEXP airplay: 3+ plays, 2012-06-18–2023-01-31 — KEXP
  • Played on KEXP show 'Drive Time' (Kevin Cole) — KEXP
  • Played on KEXP show 'Variety Mix' (Sean) — KEXP
  • Played on KEXP show 'Sonarchy' (Doug Haire) — KEXP

Photos, art and posters

Nels Cline — Brooklyn Bowl, 2026-03-12
Poster · Brooklyn Bowl, 2026-03-12 — Songkick
Nels Cline — Brooklyn Bowl, 2025-07-23
Poster · Brooklyn Bowl, 2025-07-23 — Songkick
Nels Cline — Sony Hall, 2018-12-29
Poster · Sony Hall, 2018-12-29 — Songkick
Nels Cline — The Mint, 2013-01-16
Poster · The Mint, 2013-01-16 — Songkick
Nels Cline — Café du Nord, 2009-03-16
Poster · Café du Nord, 2009-03-16 — Songkick

Sources & corrections

Report a correctionRequest removal
What each source supplied
SourceUsed for
MusicBrainzArtist facts
WikipediaArtist facts
Nels Cline on Last.fmArtist facts
Nels Cline on DiscogsArtist facts
Nels Cline on GeniusArtist facts
KEXPAirplay
SongkickShow history, Show posters
archive etreeShow history
DiscogsCredited on the record; no item on this page cites it
GeniusCredited on the record; no item on this page cites it
Last.fmCredited on the record; no item on this page cites it
WikidataCredited on the record; no item on this page cites it

This is a partial record of publicly documented activity. Missing shows, releases or members do not mean there are none. It does not confirm availability for booking.