Pitchfork

Photo by Michael Alan Goldberg

Drunkenness, debauchery, fudging on bedtimes: each helps provide the grist for the rock'n'roll mill owned and operated by the Hold Steady. So why in the world is Hold Steady axe slinger Tad Kubler gigging just after lunchtime for folks with flasks full of chocolate milk?

To raise the next generation of Hold Steady fans, we guess. On Sunday, February 10 at the Living Room in New york City, Tad (and "friends"), along with Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles will peform a 1 p.m. set as part of the KiDROCKERS series. These KiDROCKERS gigs contain a special provision, however: every adult must be accompanied by a kid, and vice versa.

Though just which "friends" Tad will bring along to the Living Room remains to be seen, his well-known pals in the Hold Steady are chugging right along on LP4. A recent MySpace bulletin suggests they're already at the mixing stage, and photos from their website suggest the band's "beard off" is nearly a month in the making. Though drummer Bobby Drake appears to have disqualified himself after a run-in with the razor and babyfaced bassist Galen Polivka seems to have opted out of the proceedings altogether, the rest of the band are looking pretty gnarly. Even producer John Agnello is in on the action. But let no ungainly soul patch stand in the way of the tuneage, gents!

Tad's not the only one taking a little break from his bearded brethren soonish, as keyboardist Franz Nicolay will serenade the highest bidder at the Cupid on Demand auction this Friday. And the band have a handful of UK appearances later this month, and yet another one come May at the ATP vs. Pitchfork festival.

Hold Steady:

02-25 Glasgow, Scotland - The Classic Grand
02-26 Manchester, England - Academy 2
02-27 London, England - Koko
05-09-11 Rye, England - Camber Sands Holiday Centre (ATP vs. Pitchfork) *

* with Jens Lekman, Hot Chip, Les Savy Fav, Black Mountain, No Age, Caribou, Of Montreal, Black Lips, Man Man, Los Campesinos!, the Clientele, Glass Candy, Dirty Projectors, Born Ruffians, Redd Kross, Marissa Nadler, Meat Puppets, the Black Angels, Howlin Rain, Harmonia, Wooden Shjips, Shit and Shine, Sebadoh, Car Sick Cars, Ween, A Place to Bury Strangers, Deerhunter, Pissed Jeans, Yeasayer, Apse, Even