Pitchfork: Les Savy Fav, Hold Steady, TAN! to Take on Australia

Les Savy Fav, Hold Steady, TAN! to Take on Australia

If you weren't at Intonation this past July, you missed what might have been the mightiest live performance showcase from representatives of a single record label ever in the history of the world. (Of course, we're biased.) On day two, French Kiss Records delegates Thunderbirds Are Now!, the Hold Steady, and Les Savy Fav turned our little festival into an ass-kicking contest of the highest order, complete with nudity, spit-swapping, and threats to public safety. For a minute there during Les Savy Fav's set, it looked like we might have had the Great Indie Rock Riot of '05 on our hands, but luckily, the sight of Tim Harrington's bare chest calmed any and all belligerents.

If you'd like to experience one of those patented French Kiss behind-whoopings, and you live in Australia, you're in luck. The label is preparing to storm your continent in February, with Les Savy Fav leading the charge and the Hold Steady and Thunderbirds bringing up the rear. If you happen to see Craig Finn in the crowd, make sure to buy him a Foster's. Pitchfork will reimburse you.

Eat this city:

02-25 Sydney, Australia - Gaelic Club *#
02-26 Melbourne, Australia - St. Jerome's Laneway Festival #$
02-27 Melbourne, Australia - The Corner Hotel *#
03-01 Perth, Australia - The Rosemount *#
03-02 Adelaide, Australia - Jive *#
03-03 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo *#
03-04 Sydney, Australia - TBA *#
03-05 Sydney, Australia - St. Jerome's Laneway Festival #$

* with Thunderbirds Are Now!
# with the Hold Steady
$ with the Avalanches, Broken Social Scene, New Buffalo, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Youth Group

Both the Hold Steady and Thunderbirds Are Now! have a few scattered performances scheduled before 2005 is over. The Hold Steady will play the 35th anniversary party of the legendary Minneapolis venue First Avenue (Purple Rain!) on December 14. Other artists participating include the Jayhawks, Mike Watt, Polara, and members of Golden Smog. Thunderbirds wrap up a UK tour tonight at Buffalo Bar in London, with a set at the Artrocker party, and they'll ring in the New Year at the Lager House in their hometown of Detroit.

As for Les Savy Fav, the closest us Americans are gonna come to seeing them live for now is the recording of their blistering CMJ set at Cake Shop in NYC, available for download from Sony's Connect music store. (A few Pitchfork staffers literally ingested Tim Harrington's sweat during that show.) But be careful-- knowing Sony, your computer might explode as soon as the files hit your hard drive.

In other French Kiss news, the label is starting up the "French Kiss Records Club" come 2006, which will finally separate the cool kids from the uncool kids once and for all. As we all know, cool kids need a uniform, so they're running a t-shirt design contest through the French Kiss website to determine what that will be. Break out the Sharpies and Hanes Beefy-Ts!