Vanderslice bring his stylings to the Warhol

John…John Vanderslice Andy Warhol Museum Tomorrow, 8 p.m. Tickets: $12 412-237-8300

Singer/songwriter John Vanderslice has a bit of an aversion to large crowds, so he’s pretty psyched to be playing at the Andy Warhol Museum tomorrow night.

Fresh from touring with former Pavement member and indie-rock legend Stephen Malkmus, Vanderslice is ready to see the audience shrink a bit.

“There were 1,400 people at one of the venues we played at, and I just felt sort of sick,” said Vanderslice in a recent phone interview.

He placed his ideal crowd size somewhere between 100 and 500 people. Brooklyn-based folk/poppers Spanish Prisoners will be opening for Vanderslice.

It’s likely that attendees will be able to have some say in which songs they hear. Vanderslice hinted at the possibility of leaving about half of the set list open to the crowd’s requests. “Time to Go” and “Time Travel is Lonely” are among his favorite songs to perform live, but he’ll play anything that fans want to hear.

Vanderslice’s set lists are always derived from previously recorded material. He tends to stay away from the new stuff.

“I really like to let my songs grow on their own,” he said.

Vanderslice kicked off the tour in Lancaster April 9 and will perform at State College before coming to Pittsburgh tomorrow.

“I really wanted to visit new places on this tour and go back to places we liked playing before,” he said. Tomorrow’s show will mark his first performance at the Warhol.

Vanderslice has recorded six full-length albums to date. Growing up in a suburb of Washington, D.C., gave him a political edge, something which frequently informs his music.

“I’ve always been a political junkie,” Vanderslice said.

His affinity for politics is often translated into his albums in the form of surreal lyrical narratives.

Vanderslice’s 2005 release, Pixel Revolt, dealt with the Sept. 11 attacks, and his newest album, Emerald City, speaks about some of the repercussions. The album’s title is a reference to the “Green Zone” in the war-torn city of Baghdad.

Emerald City also represents a change in Vanderslice’s attitude toward the recording process.

“I’ve gotten a lot more trusting of working with other people over the years. I brought a lot more people into the studio this time,” he said.