As Pitchfork recently announced, K Records founder Calvin Johnson (after hitting Japan with Karl Blau) will be embarking on a national tour with his new band the Hive Dwellers as well as the Ian Svenonius-fronted Chain and the Gang.
Details on these two groups are pretty scant so far, but here’s what we know:
The Hive Dwellers will be fronted by Calvin Johnson, who will be backed by Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me, City Center), Brett Lyman (Bad Thoughts), Brian Weber (Dub Narcotic Sound System) and Sarah Pedal.
Chain and the Gang consists of Ian Svenonius backed by this same band (Thomas, Lyman, Weber, and Pedal). If you were at last year’s What The Heck? Fest, you might have caught its first–and, so far, only–performance. Here’s my account of Chain and Gang’s public debut, from my Heck Fest wrapup:
When you’re the founder of K Records, you can kind of do whatever you want, especially at What the Heck? Fest. And Calvin Johnson did. His set started off with Johnson on guitar for a band fronted by Ian Svenonius. (Apparently the band was fresh off recording together for a few weeks recently; should be interesting to see what comes of it.) The charmingly brusque Svenonius introduced the band’s performance as “the soundtrack for a film.” Everyone turned to watch a slide projection on the wall opposite the stage of an introductory narrative of sorts. Two female band members provided the voices of two aliens headed towards Earth, contemplating humanity’s primitive capitalist way of life. The dialogue consisted of vaguely-Communist, mostly-comprehensible ruminations on the role of “groups” (as in musical groups) within this primitive society. It was funny and not overly serious, and eventually transitioned into an example of what one of these Earthling “groups” might sound like, which involved Johnson, Svenonius and the band playing some sixties revolutionary-style garage rock anthems. The first song ended in staged confusion, band members arguing with each other that they had played the wrong number of verses or choruses-a jab at some of the conventional expectations of “groups” and their performances.
Chain and the Gang’s debut Down With Liberty…Up With Chains will see release on April 7 on K. The Hive Dwellers’ debut is still in the works and due out around the end of 2009 or early 2010. You will be able to enjoy Johnson’s new project before that by catching one of its many upcoming live shows. The joint tour wraps up towards the end of May with shows in Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Anacortes, and Olympia.
Apr 9, 2009 - Salem, Oregon
Cherry City Music Festival - Chain and the Gang, Jeremy Jay, Calvin Johnson and Wallpaper
The Hive Dwellers AND Chain and the Gang
Apr 14, 2009 - Springfield, Illinois
Black Sheep Cafe - w/ Seething CoastApr 15, 2009 - Bloomington, Indiana
Russian RecordingApr 16, 2009 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The NerveApr 17, 2009 - New York City, New York
92Y Tribeca - w/ City CenterApr 18, 2009 - Boston, Massachusetts
Outside the Lines GalleryApr 19, 2009 - Providence, Rhode Island
AS220Apr 20, 2009 - Annandale on Hudson, New York
Bard CollegeApr 21, 2009 - Danbury, Connecticut
Heirloom ArtsApr 22, 2009 - Montreal, Quebec
Lab SyntheseApr 23, 2009 - Hamilton, Ontario
The CasbahApr 24, 2009 - Toronto, Ontario
Whippersnapper GalleryApr 25, 2009 - Buffalo, New York
Soundlab - w/ MahjonggApr 26, 2009 - Brooklyn, New York
Market Hotel - w/ MahjonggApr 27, 2009 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Barbary - w/ MahjonggApr 28, 2009 - Baltimore, Maryland
Talking Head Club - w/ MahjonggApr 29, 2009 - Washington, DC
Comet Pizza and Pong - w/ MahjonggApr 30, 2009 - Akron, Ohio
Musica - w/ MahjonggMay 1, 2009 - Detroit, Michigan
UFO Factory - w/ MahjonggMay 2, 2009 - Chicago, Illinois
Co-Prosperity Sphere - VERSION FEST w/ MahjonggMay 3, 2009 - Grand Rapids, Michigan
The DAACMay 5, 2009 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Eclipse Record Store - w/ Vampire Hands and Mystery PalaceMay 6, 2009 - Iowa City, Iowa
Public Space 1May 7, 2009 - Indianapolis, Indiana
MoriaMay 8, 2009 - Louisville, Kentucky
Skull Alley - w/ Young WidowsMay 9, 2009 - Greensboro, North Carolina
UNC - Greensboro CampusMay 10, 2009 - Athens, Georgia
Secret SquirrelMay 11, 2009 - Atlanta, Georgia
Eyedrum - w/ The Coathangers, Pine Hill HaintsMay 12, 2009 - Huntsville, Alabama
Vertical House Records - w/ Pine Hill HaintsMay 14, 2009 - New Orleans, Louisiana
SpellcasterMay 15, 2009 - Scott, Louisana
Bourque’s Social Club - w/ Pine Hill HaintsMay 16, 2009 - Austin, Texas
Emo’s - w/ PeelMay 17, 2009 - Denton, Texas
Hailey’s ClubMay 19, 2009 - Santa Fe, New Mexico
Warehouse 21May 20, 2009 - Tucson, Arizona
Solar CultureMay 21, 2009 - Isla Vista, California
Biko’s GarageMay 22, 2009 - Los Angeles, California
The Smell - w/ Jeremy JayMay 23, 2009 - San Francisco, California
Dreamers and Make Believers - w/ Thee Oh SeesMay 24, 2009 - Oakland, California
Ghost Town Gallery - w/ GownsMay 25, 2009 - Santa Cruz, California
Crepe PlaceMay 27, 2009 - Eureka, California
Accident GalleryMay 28, 2009 - Portland, Oregon
Rotture - w/ Starfucker, WallpaperMay 29, 2009 - Seattle, Washington
The Vera Project - w/ WallpaperMay 30, 2009 - Vancouver, British Columbia
The Sweathshop - w/ WallpaperMay 31, 2009 - Anacortes, Washington
The Department of Safety - w/ WallpaperJun 1, 2009 - Olympia, Washington
Northern - 321 4th Ave. - w/ Wallpaper