Pitchfork

The sheer number of bearded dudes holding guitars onstage at any given Akron/Family event being what it is, you'll have to forgive the absence of one (even one as notable as occasional lead vocalist and original member Ryan Vanderhoof) for escaping notice until now.

Turns out Vanderhoof departed the group "amicably sometime between the completion of [2007 release] Love Is Simple and the start of the band's U.S. tour [which just wrapped up this past weekend]," according to Akron/Family's publicist. This leaves Seth Olinsky, Miles Seaton, and Dana Janssen as the core members of A/F, although the band is often supplemented by their recent tour buddies, namely Greg Davis and members of Megafaun.

As for Vanderhoof? Seems "he went to live in a Buddhist Dharma center in the Midwest." So there you go.

Though they're down a dude-- and short some stuff, still-- Akron/Family will soldier on with a European tour in a month or so. Those dates after the jump.

Akron/Family:

11-22 The Hague, Netherlands - Crossing Borders Festival
11-23 Brussels, Belgium - AB Club
11-24 Brighton, England - The Pressure Point
11-25 Bristol, England - The Croft
11-27 Aberdeen, Scotland - The Lemon Tree
11-28 Glasgow, Scotland - The Beat Club
11-29 Newcastle, England - The Other Rooms
11-30 Manchester, England - Phoenix
12-01 Leeds, England - The Faversham
12-02 London, England - Cargo
12-04 Nottingham, England - The Social
12-05 Coventry, England - Taylor John's House
12-07 Reykjavik, Iceland - Organ Club