by Andrew Frisicano

The duo of Jean Smith and Dave Lester have revived Mecca Normal, their vocals-and-guitar indie-punk act that, since starting in 1984, has released discs on K Records, Matador, Sub Pop, and Kill Rock Stars - who put out the band's most recent release, 2006's The Observer (featuring the single "Attraction is Ephemeral," video below).

The pair head out on their 25th Anniversary, "How Art & Music Can Change the World" tour - a traveling musical performance/lecture series that'll visit NYC in both forms, first at Cake Shop on Monday, April 20th, then to present their world changing thesis (see video below for a preview) at Bluestockings Books on Tuesday, April 21st.
Jean Smith says...

I wasn't expecting to be impacted by the economic downturn when I was laid off from my retail job at an eco-friendly clothing store. The company decided to close the much-loved, quaint, creaky-old-floorboard store to concentrate on their wholesale and online business. As an almost fifty-year-old (single, debt-free) musician, novelist and painter, I am perhaps better equipped to deal with variations on the theme of employment and income, better than people who felt they had security. Rather than look for a new part time job, I'm hitting the road with Mecca Normal to present "How Art & Music Can Change the World" -- an art exhibit, lecture and performance event in university and high school classrooms, bookstores, art galleries and music venues.

The band's back catalogue received a boost recently when the Mecca's Smarten UP! Records re-released two previously out-of-print Matador releases-- 1997's Who Shot Elvis? and 1995's Sitting on Snaps - on iTunes earlier this year.

All tour dates and above-mentioned videos below...

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