Black Eyes announce first shows in nearly 20 years, reissuing s/t LP

DC post-hardcore/art punk vets Black Eyes were initially around from 2001 to 2004, during which time they released two albums on Dischord, and now they’re finally set to reunite for their first shows in nearly 20 years! They’ll kick things off with a hometown show on April 4 at Black Cat and then play Brooklyn’s Market Hotel on April 8 and Philly’s First Unitarian Church on April 9. Tickets go on sale Friday (11/18) at 10 AM.

Black Eyes will also reissue their classic 2003 debut LP on Dischord, marking the album’s first vinyl release since 2009. Stay tuned for a pre-order link and more info on that. Stream the album below.

For more background on Black Eyes, the band’s new bio reads:

The group formed in 2001 and quickly became notorious for their visceral, percussion-heavy live performances. With two drummers, two bassists, two vocalists, one guitarist bolstered by an array of auxiliary percussion, the five piece blended exuberantly danceable post punk with an abrasive, caustic wildness inspired in equal measure by hardcore, free jazz, and 20th century composition. Singers Hugh McElroy and Daniel Martin-McCormick wove breathless tirades around each other, building densely-layred lyrical deluges exploring trauma, the crisis of masculinity, queer sexuality, a post 9-11 political landscape and the early rumblings of 21st century fascism. Drummers Mike Kanin and Dan Caldas engineered a roiling rhythmic interplay that maintained a tight groove as often as it erupted in furious explosions. Bassist-turned-saxophonist Jacob Long and McElroy meanwhile weighted the rhythm with thick, dubby undertows and punctuated it with springy, lithe countermelodies, while Martin-McCormick unleashed sprays of flinty chaos on guitar.

Their tenure as a band lasted a mere two-and-a-half years, but in that short time they left a lasting mark on the punk underground. Across exactly 200 shows and two albums on Dischord (2003’s S/T and 2004’s Cough), the group insistently maintained a feverish, experimental energy that ran counter to the happy-to-be-commodified spirit of the era. Album tracks like “Deformative,” “A Pack of Wolves” and “Someone Has His Fingers Broken” became anthems to those who know, while the blinding energy of their live shows left audiences stunned.

Black Eyes — 2023 Tour Dates
4.7 – DC @ Black Cat
4.8 – Brooklyn @ Market Hotel
4.9 – Philly @ First Unitarian Church