It's kinda old news at this point (and news that perhaps not that many people really care about), but Pedro The Lion is officially no more. Last night (June 15), leader (and, really, only member) David Bazan played a solo show at Schubas in Chicago, and he described the show as his first solo performance with PTL officially gone. So that's something.
I've always been a fan, and I daresay that Bazan alone with an acoustic guitar was actually more exciting than the last few years of rocking in duo and trio formats — he's chatty, funny, and not quite as dour as on the last tour. He's not a fan of George W., and though often identified with Christian rock, doesn't seem to hold any of the right-wing beliefs you might guess. In fact, at last night's show, when someone asked him what he thought of marriage, Bazan said that he thought it was crazy that Christians get married just so they can fuck. (His word, used with flair and fluency, frequently throughout the show.)
The music, though, is still a downer, but mostly in a good way. He's hawking a new EP called Fewer Moving Parts, and it includes songs that appear to question and embrace his recent band breakup ("Fewer Moving Parts"), vaginas ("Cold Beer And Cigarettes"), and the ridiculous futility of entertainment journalism ("Selling Advertising"). Thanks Dave! All are delivered with his signature heavy-hand, but they're also pretty cutting and incredible, so we can forgive him — whether we're Christian or not.
Anyway, last night was the first of his solo tour, and I recommend catching a show if he travels through your neck of the woods. Dates are at davidbazan.com…