New Pornographers Issue YouTube Challenge

Who doesn't love a good challenge? A friendly wager, a boastful claim that needs proving, a triple-dog-dare? Well, you know darn well by now how your friends-- all 46 of 'em-- in the New Pornographers dig a challenge, and this time, it's personal they're putting you to the test. Are you a bad enough dude/ette to dig errant gum out of Dan Bejar's beard** ?

Fellow Pornographers Carl Newman and Blaine Thurier have called upon the "YouTube nation" (sigh), setting up a series of weekly assessments in which participants post themselves doing the band's bidding, in exchange for fame and fabulous prizes.

Those challenges? Err...it's a little hard to say. The first test involves coming up with choreography for a New Pornographers song of your choice. The next? We're not convinced they know any better than we do.

As for the prizes, well, there's an iPhone up for grabs, and then this: "The other prize is you challenge us. You get to challenge the New Pornographers to something. Anything you want. Challenge us to strip naked and dance around in Times Square, climb Mt. Everest and poop our pants on top of Mt. Everest."

While you drift off in unpublishable thoughts about Neko Case, though, respect the caveat: the band reserves the right to say no to any of the challenges, and, in fact, seem to be suggesting they will almost certainly do so. Still, there's a shot at some sweet "play a show at my high school!" or "no, you do a friggin' dance, Newman!" or "arrange my army of dogs in some kind of pyramid formation!" action, and that's worth shedding ungainly layers of shame for.

Can you hang with the Pornos? Will you jump through fiery hoops for a shot at internet glory and the resulting fame? That's up to you, friend.

The New Pornographers are about to head out on a few months of tour. Hey, Winnipeg, maybe you could challenge them to buy some plane tickets?

** not an actual New Pornographers challenge...yet

Pornographers:

09-13 Victoria, British Columbia - McPherson Ballroom *!
09-14 Seattle, WA - Showbox #!
09-15 Seattle, WA - Showbox #!
09-16 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom #!
09-17 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre #!
09-18 San Diego, CA - House of Blues #!
09-19 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater #!
09-20 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater #@
09-21 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre #@
09-22 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater #@
09-24 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater #@
09-25 Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot #@
09-26 Boise, ID - The Egyptian Theatre #@
09-28 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom #!
09-30 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
10-02 Berlin, Germany - Mudd
10-03 Oslo, Norway - Cosmopolite
10-04 London, England - Koko
10-11 Edmonton, Alberta - Edmonton Event Center $
10-12 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwen Hall $
10-13 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwen Hall $
10-14 Missoula, MT - University Theater $
10-16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue $^
10-17 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre $^
10-18 Chicago, IL - The Metro $^
10-19 Chicago, IL - The Metro $^
10-20 North Tonawanda, NY - Riviera Theatre $^
10-21 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre $^
10-22 Montreal, Quebec - Le National $^
10-23 Boston, MA - The Roxy $^
10-24 New York, NY - Webster Hall $^
10-25 New York, NY - Webster Hall $*
10-26 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero $*
10-27 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club $^
10-28 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel $*
10-30 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse $*
10-31 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues $*
11-01 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live $+
11-02 Dallas, TX - House of Blues $+
11-03 Austin, TX - Waterloo (Fun Fun Fun Fest) $
11-04 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall $*
11-05 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre $*

* with Immaculate Machine
# with Lavender Diamond
! with Fancey
@ with the Awkward Stage
$ with Emma Pollock
^ with Benjy Ferree
+ with Spoon

MP3: The New Pornographers: Myriad Harbor [from the Challengers LP]