As if Merge Records boss man Mac McCaughan didn’t have enough to do with managing a successful indie label and playing in Superchunk, he also spends time recording as Portastatic. Already with a substantial catalog under his belt, McCaughan will release a new Portastatic album on August 23 via, you guessed it, Merge Records. Dubbed Bright Ideas, the album is nothing short of amazing. Tackling a multitude of styles, it packs great song after great song into 41 minutes of pure indie rock bliss. But don’t take my word for it. Indie icon Conor Oberst is such a fan of the record that he wrote Portastatic’s new bio on the Merge Records website, saying “…with more music this pure and defiant and a few more people as aware and brave as Mac making it, the future may still have a fighting chance.”
In support of the new album, McCaughan will be taking to the road with a full band for an extensive two month tour next month. The trek will officially kick off in Asheville, NC, at Grey Eagle and stretch through October 27 at the Parish in Austin, TX. Along the way, the band will be sharing the stage with Tenement Halls, Rosebuds, JV and Mary Timony. However, before the tour gets rolling, fans in New York City will get a special treat when Portastaic stops by Other Music (15 E. 4th St.) for an in-studio performance followed by a CD listening party at Hi-Fi on August 22. All the details are below. Dig in.
08.22.05 – New York, NY (Instore performance at Other Music) (15 E. 4th 09.07.05 – Asheville, NC (Grey Eagle, w Tenement Halls)
09.08.05 – Louisville, KY (Uncle Pleasants, w Tenement Halls)
09.09.05 – Chicago, IL (Empty Bottle, w Tenement Halls & Mary Timony)
09.10.05 – Kalamazoo, MI (Krafthaus Brewery, w Tenement Halls)
09.11.05 – Cleveland, OH (Grogshop, w Tenement Halls)
09.12.05 – Toronto, ON (Lee’s Palace, w Tenement Halls)
09.13.05 – Montreal, QUE (La Sala Rossa, w Tenement Halls)
09.14.05 – Boston, MA (The Middle East Upstairs, w Tenement Halls & Mary Timony)
09.16.05 – New York, NY (Rothko CMJ Showcase w/ Richard Buckner, Crooked Fingers, Tenement Halls, Annie Hayden, and The Rosebuds)
09.17.05 – Philadelphia, PA (The Khyber, w Tenement Halls)
09.23.05 – Seattle, WA (The Crocodile Café, w/ Rosebuds)
09.24.05 – Portland, OR (Berbati’s, w/ Rosebuds)
09.25.05 – Eugene, OR (WOW Hal, w/ Rosebuds)
09.26.05 – Chico, CA (TBA, w/ Rosebuds)
09.27.05 – San Francisco, CA (Bottom of the Hill, w/ Rosebuds)
09.28.05 – Los Angeles, CA (Spaceland, w/ Rosebuds)
10.14.05 – New York, NY (Knitting Factory, w/ JV)
10.15.05 – Brooklyn, NY (Southpaw, w/ JV)
10.16.05 – Cambridge, MA (The Middle East Downstairs, w/ JV)
10.17.05 – Washington, DC (Black Cat, w/ JV)
10.18.05 – Carrboro, NC (Cat’s Cradle, w/ JV)
10.19.05 – Mt. Pleasant, SC (The Village Tavern, w/ JV)
10.20.05 – Atlanta, GA (The Earl, w/ JV)
10.21.05 – St. Augustine, FL (Cafe Eleven, w/ JV)
10.22.05 – Tallahassee, FL (Club Downunder / Florida State, w/ JV)
10.23.05 – Orlando, FL (The Social, w/ JV)
10.25.05 – New Orleans, LA (Twiropa, w/ JV)
10.26.05 – Houston, TX (Mary Jane’s Fat Cat, w/ JV)
10.27.05 – Austin, TX (The Parish, w/ JV)
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