New Pornographers Plot ‘Mass Romantic’ 21st Anniversary Reissue, Tour

The New Pornographers will mark the 21st anniversary of their debut album, Mass Romantic, with a limited-edition vinyl reissue and a North American tour.

The reissue will be pressed on red vinyl and arrive December 10th via Matador Records. It’ll also come with a bonus seven-inch single featuring two rare B-sides, “The End of Medicine” and “When I Was a Baby.” The band has also released a high-quality version of the video for the album cut “Letter From an Occupant.”

During their North American tour — which kicks off November 29th in Woodstock, New York, and wraps December 12th in Vancouver — the New Pornographers will play two nights in every city, performing Mass Romantic in its entirety the first night, then all of their 2005 album, Twin Cinema, the second night. The group’s lineup throughout the trek will also notably feature Dan Bejar and Neko Case, alongside AC Newman, Joe Seiders, John Collins, Kathryn Calder, and Todd Fancey.

“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.”

Newman also spoke about Bejar rejoining the group for the tour (Bejar has been in the New Pornographers off-and-on since their inception, but has largely focused on his own work with Destroyer). “Bejar is coming and God knows if we’ll get him again,” Newman said. “When he moved to Spain two months after Mass Romantic came out, I thought he was done in the band and now 21 years later we’ve convinced him to come along for another ride. Just the nature of our band that it’s a special occasion when all the singers show up.”

The New Pornographers Tour Dates

November 29 – Woodstock, NY @ Levon Helm Studios #
November 30 – Woodstock, NY @ Levon Helm Studios &
December 1 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club #
December 2 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club &
December 3 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall #
December 4 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall &
December 6 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall #
December 7 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall &
December 9 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune #
December 10 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune &
December 11 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre #
December 12 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre &

# Performing Mass Romantic
& Performing Twin Cinema