Latest news with #ThePonys
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2 days ago
- Entertainment
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Staff Picks: A historical fiction podcast, and a drummer gone too soon
This week in Staff Picks, TV Editor Tim Lowery lauds The Ponys' Nathan Jerde and Staff Writer William Hughes goes along for the ride when Mike Duncan's Revolutions swerves into fiction. Tim Lowery: The Ponys' Nathan Jerde One of my favorite drummers to watch back in the day—and by that, I specifically mean 2007 to 2010—was Nathan Jerde of The Ponys. Jerde passed away in May, prompting a few texts with friends and a lot of memories from that period in my life, of seeing the Chicago garage-rock outfit play that city's best venue, the Empty Bottle, on Halloween, all dressed as pro wrestlers (and surrounded by bright tape fashioned to look like the ropes of a ring); hit a big stage on a lovely summer day at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park (following Deerhunter, if I'm not mistaken); and then perform in Brooklyn shortly after I had moved to there and was and feeling a tad homesick. Jerde had a way of keeping his head down a lot as he played, popping it up, his hair slicked with sweat, every so often—during less busy or fill-heavy parts, say, or when the band was kicking into a new song. He always looked in the zone and was one of those drummers from that era (like The Walkmen's Matt Barrick) that was just so infectious and fun to witness, the kind that made you want to give the instrument a go. He was also a key, propulsive ingredient to a truly great band that also included frontman-guitarist Jered Gummere, bassist Melissa Elias, and guitarist Ian Adams (who was replaced by Brian Case, the future leader of Disappears, when he left). The Ponys came out with some killer seven inches and three LPs: Laced With Romance, the most exciting sounding and punchy of the bunch; Celebration Castle, an occasionally moodier but still frenetic release that was recorded by Steve Albini in four days; and Turn The Lights Out, which marked the band's move from the fantastic garage-rock label In The Red to indie stalwart Matador and feels a bit wider in scope, with a few new tricks thrown in. Honestly, if you don't know this band and would like to hear what made their alchemy special, just play these records all the way through. But if I had to pick a track from each album that highlights Jerde's skills, I'd go with (in chronological order): 'Little Friends' (those snare hits!), 'Shadow Box' (those returns to the hi-hat!), 'Small Talk' (that beat that helps keep a four-minute-plus song that's only three chords from ever getting boring!). But my favorite drumming from him—and my favorite Ponys song, period—isn't on any of their LPs: 'I Wanna Fuck You' (the narrative is sweeter than the title implies), which you can listen to above. I love the drum fills on this track—and go back to it often. In May, the outfit wrote the following to break the sad news: 'Nathan was an amazing drummer and possessed savant-like art skills. Nathan loved goofing around and had the sweetest of hearts. We traveled the world together. We ate amazing meals together and we met lifelong friends together. We fought like brothers sometimes, but we had so much fucking fun together. Nathan, we will miss you so much!' R.I.P. William Hughes: Mike Duncan's 'The Martian Revolution' I'll confess to being extremely skeptical when Mike Duncan—creator, writer, and star of my favorite history podcast, Revolutions—announced that he was taking the show into the world of speculative fiction. After all, part of what I love about Duncan's work is the way he blends the relatable and the reliable; he'd be the first to encourage his listeners to check their own sources, and draw their own conclusions, about the tumultuous, highly contested arcs of history that he covers in long-form, entertaining, only occasionally depressing detail. (Ranging from the English Revolution of the 1640s through the Russian Revolution of the 20th century; if you, like me, were only familiar with the French Revolution as a series of cultural signifiers—or of the Haitian Revolution as a name and not much else—you could have much worse primers than Duncan's highly approachable, meticulously researched prose.) I trust Duncan, as both a historian and a storyteller. Hearing that he was taking the show into the realm of fiction, with a season covering a fictitious political revolution on Mars, though? It worried me enough that I spent months putting the new season of the show off. So it is with the zeal of the fresh convert that I arrive here to tell you Duncan's 'The Martian Revolution'—which he has now completed, having delivered it serially from October of last year up through this recent June—is some of my favorite 'historical' fiction I've imbibed in some time. Drawing on years of researching the ways humanity tends to blow up its own political orders—and, perhaps, pulling from just a smidge of other influences—Duncan crafts a story about distant colonists going into revolt against an oppressive Earth regime that feels genuinely authentic to the currents of history. (Also: Exciting, funny, and sad. Pour one out for Mabel Dore.) Once I got over my reservations and began to binge, I got caught up on 'The Martian Revolution' quickly—and then got to enjoy each week of cliffhangers as Duncan, surprisingly great at delivering a deadpan, slightly fictionalized version of his regular authorial voice, spooled out his story with the same attention to detail he'd previously devoted to actual facts. It's kind of shocking how easy the show was to accept as semi-fact, even discounting occasional meta flourishes. (Duncan is quick to handwave that his entire narrative hinges on Mars producing a scientifically insane super-fuel that makes its continual mining absolutely vital to human society—just one of many ways the show adapts well-observed historical forces to the stars.) And the whole thing is shot through with the same slightly weary irony that has made Revolutions regular listening for me for years: An acknowledgement that we do these things to ourselves—and likely will continue to, from now into the far future. More from A.V. Club The biggest news (so far) from San Diego Comic-Con 2025 What's on TV this week—Chief Of War and Eyes Of Wakanda R.I.P. Tom Lehrer, mathematician and musical satirist Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Big Thief Announce North American ‘Somersault Slide 360' Tour Dates
Almost two years on from their last tour of the country, Big Thief will be hitting the road for a newly-announced run of North American dates. Dubbed the Somersault Slide 360 Tour, the 20-date run of shows will launch in Sacramento, CA on Sept. 17 and traverse the U.S. and Mexico over the next two months before wrapping up in Houston, TX on Nov. 7. These dates also include a previously-announced performance at New York's Forest Hills Stadium in October. More from Billboard Rag'n'Bone Man Teases Danger Mouse-Produced 'Time to Love' Shakira and Wyclef Jean Celebrate 20 Years of 'Hips Don't Lie' on 'The Tonight Show' Nathan Jerde, Drummer of Chicago Indie-Rockers The Ponys, Has Died The band have, however, made an effort to assuage the fears of fans who may worry about missing them on the upcoming trek. 'Somersault Slide 360 Tour will continue into 2026, and these shows that have just been announced are the first of more to come,' they explained. 'Keep those antennas at a clear diagonal.' The tour will be Big Thief's first run of American shows since 2023 when they were supporting their fifth album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, released the year prior. The record was their biggest commercial success to date, peaking at No. 31 on the Billboard 200 and receiving a Grammy nomination for best alternative album, and best alternative music performance for second single, 'Certainty.' Big Thief released a pair of singles in 2023, and in July 2024, the group announced the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik, citing 'interpersonal reasons' for his exit. In February, Big Thief also unveiled a new L.A. wildfires benefit EP, with Passional Relations collecting some of their 'favorite unreleased songs' to aid relief for those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles. In the time between studio releases, vocalist and guitarist Adrianne Lenker would release her Bright Future album in 2024, with recordings from the accompanying tour appearing on the recently-released Live at Revolution Hall album. On Friday (May 2), drummer James Krivchenia released the album Performing Belief. Big Thief – 2025 Somersault Slide 360 Tour Dates Sept. 17 – Channel 24, Sacramento, CASept. 19 – Edgefield, Troutdale, ORSept. 21 – Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical, Boise, IDSept. 22 – Twilight Concert Series, Salt Lake City, UTSept. 25 – The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CASept. 27 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CASept. 28 – Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, San Diego, CAOct. 1 – Teatro Metropolitan, Mexico City, MXOct. 20 – State Theatre, Portland, MEOct. 21 – MGM Music Hall, Boston, MAOct. 22 – The Met, Philadelphia, PAOct. 24 – The Anthem, Washington, DCOct. 25 – Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Hills, NYOct. 29 – Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, NCOct. 30 – The Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GAOct. 31 – Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LANov. 3 – Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OKNov. 4 – The Bomb Factory, Dallas, TXNov. 5 – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, Austin, TXNov. 7 – White Oak Music Hall Lawn, Houston, TX Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
