Protomartyr Tickets

Protomartyr in Concert

If you take a hearty dose of classic 1970s punk, add a few heaping cups of ‘80s post-punk, and sprinkle in some contemporary indie rock sensibility, you end up with something like Protomartyr. Formed in 2008 in Detroit, Protomartyr captured the American rock ethos with a furious energy almost immediately; going forward, they would garner comparisons to bands like Joy Division, The Fall, and Sonic Youth, with lead singer Joe Casey often compared to Ian Curtis and Nick Cave. After dropping their spastic first album, ‘No Passion All Technique,' in 2012 with Urinal Cake Records, the band was off to the races. Their second album, ‘Under Color of Official Right,' came out two years later on Hardly Art and featured clearer production and more focused songwriting. It was critically acclaimed, landing on multiple year-end lists, including the #2 spot from the ‘Chicago Tribune.' Their third, ‘The Agent Intellect,' saw the band starting to deal with more explicitly philosophical issues concerning knowledge and the mind; this album also got recognition on year-end lists, and charted at No. 3 on the U.S. Top Heatseekers Albums. 

After ‘The Agent Intellect' performed so well, the band signed to Domino to release their fourth record, ‘Relatives in Descent,' produced by Sonny DiPerri (Animal Collective). It was considered by many to be darker and even more philosophical, featuring rollicking drums and guitars reminiscent of The Smiths, and sporting an impressive channeling of punk attitude by Joe Casey. ‘Relatives in Descent' was declared #1 album of 2017 by Loud and Quiet, also landing in the Top 10 at a number of other publications. Protomartyr have toured frequently across North America and Europe, hitting festivals like South by Southwest, CMJ, and Pitchfork Music Festival. The band tours the East Coast and the Midwest in late November and December in support of their newest projects, including the EP ‘Consolation,' released in June 2018. Co-headlining the tour is Canadian post-punk quartet Preoccupations.