Pitchfork: Wrens Map Out Big Ol' Tour

Wrens Map Out Big Ol' Tour
Stempies too busy smoking bud to record anything, much less drive

[Posted Monday, January 12th, 2004 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

You know that most of us at Pitchfork love The Wrens. How could we not, when those of us who enjoy what's come to be known as "indie rock" have to sit by and watch it suffer, time and time again, a variety of flagrant abuses and half-assed re-warmings, while the possibilities still inherent in the form lie dormant? The Wrens write unique and effective indie-rock songs that seem to refresh the genre without sweeping away their forebears, and they use their entire ass to do so. Three cheers.

So imagine my frustration when The Wrens cancelled their scheduled North Carolina appearance a couple months ago. "Disappointing" fails to truly describe my disappointment. But then imagine my elation when I was told they would re-schedule for February. But then imagine my new, more cutting and ramified disappointment upon finding these updated tour dates on The Kork Agency's website, dates that span the next several months, with nary an NC stop to be found. Rue!

My loss, your gain-- I get further emotional baggage, you get tour dates. The latter half are still to be confirmed, in terms of venues, but the cities are all there. And if you live in California, you get John Vanderslice as well (bastards!). Say, if anyone has a couch I could crash on (a divan, hammock, love seat, duvet, carpeted floor, cold hearth or bed of nails would also be acceptable) in Williamsburg VA, around, I don't know, March 6th or something, I wouldn't say no... The dates:

01-17 Chicago, IL - Schuba's
01-24 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
01-31 Bronxville, NY - Sarah Lawrence College
02-06 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
02-07 Montreal, Quebec - Casa Del Popolo
02-18 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
02-19 Portland, OR - Berbati's
02-20 Bellingham, WA - 3B
02-21 Seattle, WA - TBA
02-22 Seattle, WA - TBA
02-24 San Diego, CA - Casbah (w/ John Vanderslice)
02-25 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory (w/ John Vanderslice)
02-26 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
02-27 Long Beach, CA - Koo's
02-28 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
03-06 Williamsburg, VA - College of William and Mary
03-12 Chicago, IL - TBA
03-13 Chicago, IL - TBA
03-14 Minneapolis, MN - TBA
03-15 Omaha, NE - TBA
03-16 Oklahoma City, OK - TBA
03-17 Austin/Houston, TX - TBA
03-18 Austin, TX - TBA
03-19 Austin/Denton, TX - TBA
03-20 Austin/Denton/Houston, TX - TBA
03-21 Austin, TX - TBA
03-22 Louisville, KY - TBA
03-23 Cincinnati, OH - TBA
03-24 Columbus, OH - TBA
04-08 Purchase, NY - SUNY Purchase