Pitchfork: The Joggers on Tour With Ted Leo, Weird War, Others

The Joggers on Tour With Ted Leo, Weird War, Others
Others completely spoiled when loudmouth announces in theater lobby that the family were actually the ghosts

[Posted Thursday, December 11th, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Jogging barbershop quartets, politically radical Pharmacists, and scene creaming Weirdos? Slow down, Whodi. This might sound like the "quirky" cast of characters from a Zadie Smith novel, but in fact, it's the line-up for what has to be one of the most uniformly strong bills of the holiday season.

The Joggers, touring on the strength of their StarTime International debut, Solid Guild, are known for kicking out suave four-part harmonies over pinwheely art-punk guitars. And they're much less annoying than actual joggers, who, at least in my hometown, seem completely oblivious to the 8000 cars creeping nose to nose behind them as they hobble down the exact center of the road, listening to gigantic headphones and sweating out five-dollar-a-bottle electrolyte-enhanced water.

Weird War is the latest Ian Svenonius production (see also Nation of Ulysses, who were rocking outré politicool jams while wearing sharp suits when (The International) Noise Conspiracy were still smearing Kaviar fish paste all over their bibs, also see also Make*Up and Scene Creamers, worshippers at the altar of Arthur Lee); expect a lot of mouth-breathing, gold-buttoned navy-blue prep school blazers, and "Baby, yeah!" type histrionics.

And what can I say about Ted Leo and the Pharmacists that you aren't sick of hearing me say already? Leo's latest, Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead, features two songs from Hearts of Oak alongside a few new tunes and covers (including one of The Jam-- talk about wearing your influences on your sleeve. But where's the Thin Lizzy cover?).

It would be cool to hear "The Sword in the Stone" and "Bleeding Powers" given the full-band treatment, but my advice? Keep yelling for them to play "Ballad of the Sin Eater" until they do, or until beefy security goons forcibly remove you from the club. If they play it, it'll be worth your while. And if you get bounced, well, more time to scrub your hand stamp off so you don't accidentally show up at work with that tell-tale sign of debauchery the next day, to download new ringtones from The Darkness' website, to mail your next move to your incarcerated backgammon opponent-- hell, man, I don't know, whatever it is you do. I could tell you about the other guys on the bill, but what would you do with the information (ding-ding-ding da-ding da-ding-ding-ding)? If The Joggers, Ted Leo, Weird War and a Roger Dodger reference aren't enough to get your plasma pumping, there's not much I can do for you.

Having trouble getting a date? Here're some to get you started, courtesy of StarTime International:

12-11 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge *
12-12 Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade *
12-13 Washington, DC - Black Cat (w/ Ted Leo and Deep Six)
12-14 New York, NY - The Bowery *
12-18 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle (w/ Watchers, The Changes and Disc Jockey CB)
12-19 Minneapolis, MN - Ascot Room
12-21 Missoula, MT - The Ritz (w/ Volumen and Obio Joes)

* with Ted Leo, Weird War