Pitchfork: Ted Leo Launches Tour

In keeping with March Madness (indie rock touring version), Ted Leo and his Pharmacists kick off a month-long American trek tonight in Brooklyn. Though Leo claims on his website that "the new stuff isn't as far along as I was dreaming it would be," a few of the more polished tracks look like they'll be popping up on set lists. We recommend you scope out "Army Bound" and "Some Beginner's Mind", demos Leo posted online a few days ago.

As previously reported, Leo recently joined forces with Touch and Go and is tentatively shooting for a fall release on his new label. Pitchfork spoke with the singer/songwriter earlier this month, and he explained, "I have close to a pretty solid amount of songs that would constitute a record, but I feel like I have some more ideas and I don't know if just because I have the right amount of songs that they should necessarily be the songs that come out on the next record. For the first time in my life, I actually want to give myself a little bit of time to make sure that I feel like it's the right batch of songs to put out."

Tour bound:

03-02 Brooklyn, NY - The Hook *#
03-03 Providence, RI - The Living Room *
03-04 Boston, MA - Paradise *%
03-05 New Haven, CT - Toads Place *
03-06 Rochester, NY - Bug Jar *^
03-07 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *^
03-08 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig *^
03-10 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub *^
03-11 Newport, KY - Southgate House *^
03-12 Nashville, TN - Exit/In *^
03-13 Little Rock, AR - Vino's *^
03-14 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room *^
03-15 San Antonio, TX - Sanctuary *^
03-16 Austin, TX - The Parish (SXSW) &
03-17 Austin, TX - Red 7 (SXSW) *+
03-18 Austin, TX - Emo's Annex (SXSW)
03-19 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington *^
03-20 Baton Rouge, LA - Chelsea's Cafe *^
03-22 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club *^
03-23 Charlotte, NC - Casbah at Tremont Music Hall *^
03-24 Washington, DC - Black Cat *^
03-25 Richmond, VA - University of Richmond (Tayler Hayne's Commons) *
03-26 New York, NY - Knitting Factory *^
04-30 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)

* with Les Aus
# with Direct from Hollywood Cemetery
% with Mad Man Films
^ with the Duke Spirit
& with Rogue Wave, Thunderbirds Are Now!, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Aloha
+ with Tralala, Lucero, Spider and the Webs, Ambulette

You might notice that Britain's Duke Spirit are joining forces with Leo a bit later than expected. Why? Visa troubles, of course. They're expected to make it into the country legally by March 6's Rochester show, which, conveniently, is only one day before their debut album, Cuts Across the Land, drops in the States.