The New Pornographers are back.
The Vancouver indie rock septet embarks on a North American Tour to celebrate the 21st anniversary of their album Mass Romantic later this year, along with a reissue of it in the form of a limited-edition red vinyl. This was the band’s debut studio album and took 3 years to complete following the band’s introduction to the Vancouver music scene. The reissue features a 7’ vinyl featuring two rare tracks “The End of Medicine” and “When I was a Baby”, which were not previously listed on the initial release, but both will appear on this newest version and can be heard on the upcoming tour.
In addition to Mass Romantic, the band also announced they will be performing the album Twin Cinema on separate nights. The band’s third studio album celebrated its 15th anniversary last year.
The tour consists of two shows in Vancouver on December 11th and 12th at the Vogue Theatre. The first show will be a full playthrough of Mass Romantic and the two hidden tracks mentioned above. The second show contains all songs off Twin Cinema.
The band’s current lineup includes AC Newman, Neko Case, John Collins, Dan Bejar, Todd Fancey, Joe Seiders, and Kathryn Calder. “Everyone wants to be successful but, hand to my heart, I had no delusions of success for the New Pornographers,” Newman said in a statement. “To be here over 20 years later, still in the game, is something that I simultaneously take for granted (you just get used to it) and feel eternally grateful for. Been here so long that we can do one of those ‘let’s play that old album all the way through!’ gigs.”
Each concert features a guest performance from Irish singer-songwriter Aoife (EE-fa) Nessa Frances, whose recent productions include her 2020 album “Land of No Junction” and the single “Watching the Willows Burn” featuring Jack Name, released in July of this year.
Tickets for both shows are available on The New Pornographers’ website, with prices starting at $39.50. Doors open at 7:00, with the show beginning at 8:00.