HEADLINING TOUR STARTS NOV. 3
For the last 15+ years the members of beloved Pennsylvania band The Menzingers have honed their craft of writing honest, relatable music, telling tales of triumph and struggle through the lens of everyman. This year marks the 10th anniversary of their monumental 3rd studio album, ‘On The Impossible Past’ (2012) regarded by Alternative Press as “an inspiring exploration of life as it should be – but rarely is – lived.”
Continuing the celebration, the band announces a re-issue of the album arriving on November 4th as well as an EP of acoustic demos from the album, inversely titled ‘On The Possible Past.’ Available digitally for the first time, fans will be able to stream on their favorite DSP as an alternative to the songs living exclusively on vinyl. Today, The Menzingers share the lyric video for “Burn,” the first taste of the eight-track acoustic EP.
Speaking on the impact that the album has had on the band after a decade, guitarist and vocalist Tom May states: “This record changed our lives forever. The last ten years have been a whirlwind of vans and airplanes, loud stages, late nights, love, dear friends, and once in a lifetime experiences. On the Impossible Past was the ticket. It was a rocket that took the four of us from our small smoke-filled basement in South Philly to stages in cities all over the world.”
On The Impossible Past was recorded at Atlas Studios in Chicago with longtime collaborators Matt Allison (Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms) and Justin Yates. While the record retains all the raucous spirit of the band’s earlier efforts sonically, it’s a monumental step forward.
In order to write the songs that would make up On The Impossible Past the band—which also includes guitarist/vocalist Greg Barnett, bassist Eric Keen and drummer Joe Godino—took an extended break from the road for the first time following their 40-date tour with Title Fight and Touché Amoré in Summer of 2011 to focus on the task at hand. “When we got off the road to write we ended up writing even more songs about Northeastern Pennsylvania,” May explains. “We’re gone so much that we hadn’t lived here for a couple of years so it was interesting to see how that changed and be able to reflect a little bit on that.”
That sense of self-reflection and nostalgic yearning lies at the emotional core of On The Impossible Past and while the band do not miss the Pennsylvania weather, they know can’t deny how their environment shaped this album in the sense that it sees the band looking back on their past in order to move forward. “We don’t miss living here but we do miss the feelings that we had during the time we did live here or the period of our lives that it encompassed,” May explains when asked about the lyrical inspiration behind the disc. “Regardless of where you’re from, those early events and places you’ve been are what shape you into the person you are today and that’s something that we’ve always been drawn to writing lyrics about for some reason.“
The Menzingers are embarking on a North American headlining tour this Fall, bringing along friends Touché Amoré and Screaming Females as support. It kicks off on November 3rd with a four-date run in Asbury Park, NJ and ends December 10th in San Francisco. Tickets are on sale now, for more information visit: https://themenzingers.com/tour
‘ON THE IMPOSSIBLE PAST ANNIVERSARY TOUR’ DATES
Nov-03 Asbury Park, NJ House of Independents
Nov-04 Asbury Park, NJ House of Independents
Nov-05 Asbury Park, NJ House of Independents
Nov-06 Asbury Park, NJ House of Independents
Nov-08 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
Nov-09 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
Nov-10 Patchogue, NY Stereo Garden
Nov-11 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
Nov-13 Charlotte, NC The Underground
Nov-14 Richmond, VA The National
Nov-15 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Nov-16 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Nov-18 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
Nov-19 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
Nov-20 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
Nov-25 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Nov-26 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Nov-27 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Nov-29 New Orleans, LA Tipitina’s
Nov-30 Dallas, TX Amplified Live
Dec-02 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep
Dec-03 Fort Collins, CO Washington’s
Dec-04 Denver, CO Summit
Dec-06 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory – Santa Ana
Dec-07, San Diego, CA The Observatory – North Park
Dec-08 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco Theater
Dec-09 Sacramento, CA Ace Of Spades
Dec-10 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
On The Possible Past Track Listing
1. Good Things (demo)
2. Burn (demo)
3. Ava (demo)
4. Sun Hotel #2 (demo)
5. Sculptors and Vandals (demo)
6. Casey (demo)
7. I Can’t Seem To Tell (demo)
8. Freedom Bridge (demo)
Press Accolades for The Menzingers
“…an extremely reliable and almost romantic take on blue collar rock, largely avoiding the lyrical in favor of throbbing, pulsating id” – New York Times
“The Menzingers make their most despairing music some of their most intense and anthemic” -NPR
“Like always, The Menzingers put their immense strength in songwriting at the forefront”-Stereogum
“On The Impossible Past, Barnett and May proved adept at mythologizing the milieu of the punk underground with cinematic flourishes fleshed out by bassist Eric Keen and drummer Joe Godino” – UPROXX
