As year 2000 drew to a close, singer/guitarist Jered Gummere and bassist Melissa Elias decided it was time. They recruited drummer Nathan Jerde and THE PONYS started playing around Chicago, eventually recording two singles in 2002. These found their way into the hands of In The Red's Larry Hardy, who signed the band, prompting them to add Ian Adams on keyboards and guitar, so as to better duplicate their layered recorded sound live. [...]

News
10/11/07--The Ponys, Invading Their Own Privacy For Your Entertainment
With the Ponys starting a nationwide tour in support of Spoon, we’ve spared no expense equipping front dude Jered Gummere with a live camera that will be webcasting his comings and goings….24/7? Whenever he’s clothed?



10/9/07--New MP3: 1209 Seminary
In honor of The Ponys tour accompanying Spoon, we've posted another mp3 from their Matador debut "Turn The Lights Out." Go to the music page and check it out, and stay tuned for more fun stuff on The Ponys front for this tour.

5/16/07--The Ponys in Europe
European dates for the fantastic foursome. These, and all others are available on the tours page:

May 2007
22 BE BRUSSELS BEURSSCHOUWBURG
23 NL AMSTERDAM CLUB LEK VPRO RADIO SESSION
24 NL GRONINGEN VERA
25 NL NIJMEGEN DOORNROOSJE
26 NL UTRECHT EKKO
27 NL ROTTERDAM WATERFRONT
28 DE HAMBURG MOLOTOW
29 DE BERLIN MUDD CLUB
30 CZ PRAGUE CHATEAU ROUGE
31 A VIENNA FLEX

June 2007
01 SL LJUBLJANA KUD
02 IT MILAN TRANSILVANIA
03 CH LUZERN BOA
04 DE FRIEBURG CAFE ATLANTIK
06 FR PARIS POINT EPHEMERE

4/8/07 —Deerhunter added as support for all gigs until 4/21
See where they are playing on the TOUR PAGE.

3/29/07--The Ponys: Album out, tour, and Daytrotter Session


They dazzled us in London. Slayed us last week playing over and over again at SXSW. And now, in support of one the great guitar albums of this or any year, 'Turn The Lights Out', The Ponys are showing the entire country how it's done, in style.

3/23 Baltimore MD Ottobar
3/24 Washington DC Black Cat
3/25 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda's
3/26 New York NY Bowery Ballroom
3/27 Cambridge MA TT The Bear's Place
3/28 Montreal QC La Sala Rossa
3/29 Toronto ON Lee's Palace
3/30 Detroit MI Magic Stick
3/31 Chicago IL Logan Square Auditorium
4/6 Kansas City MO Record Bar
4/7 Denver CO Larimer Lounge
4/8 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge (with Deerhunter)
4/10 Seattle WA Neumo's
4/11 Vancouver BC Richard On Richards
4/12 Portland OR Dante's
4/13 San Francisco CA 12 Galaxies
4/14 Los Angeles CA Echo
4/15 San Diego CA Beauty Bar
4/16 Phoenix AZ Modified Arts
4/18 Austin TX Emo's (main room)
4/20 Nashville TN The Basement Deerhunter
4/21 St. Louis MO The Biliken Club
4/22 Cleveland OH Grog Shop
5/3 Minneapolis MN 7th Street Entry
5/4 Minneapolis MN 7th Street Entry
5/5 Milwaukee WI Mad Planet

(3/23-3/31 with the Black Lips)

To help us celebrate this week’s release of The Ponys’ 'Turn The Lights Out', our friends at Daytrotter posted a very nice feature on the band which, of course, also includes four live tracks recorded for the soon to be infamous Daytrotter Sessions.

(an ambitiously blonde Jered, as illustrated by Daytrotter's Johnnie Cluney)

Recorded a few weeks back in beautiful Rock Island, IL, the band tore up some two-inch tape with four absolute keepers (and you can keep them, since they are available as mp3 downloads). And the real sweetness comes with a scorching version of ‘Poser Psychotic’.

The band just left Austin where they logged the most shows for any single Matador artists at SXSW this year and are currently back out on the road with the Black Lips. If you missed that shindig in Texas and you’re are missing the band on this go-around you might want to check yourself out some live tuneage here.

3/12/07 —New MP3

A second sample mp3 from The Ponys' "Turn Out The Lights" is now available for your listening pleasure. Click Here to hear "Poser Psychotic."

2/12/07 —Buy Early Get Now #3: The Ponys Preorder!
Yes! A third installment of Matador's Buy Early Get Now pre-order promotion and this time The Pony's were generous enough to give us some fantastic bonus material exclusively for customers that pre-order their new full length album, and Matador debut, "Turn the Lights Out."

When you preorder the album, you'll get the following:

- Stream of the album

- Exclusive b-side
- Exclusive live EP download (recorded live at Schubas on 1/12/07)

- An exclusive poster designed by Melissa Elias. (SUPPLIES LIMITED)

Here's how it works: When you pre-order "Turn the Lights Out," you'll receive information and a unique code via email to download the b-side and the exclusive live EP, and then when release date (3/20) rolls around the posters will ship with the album or you can pick them up at participating retailers.

The b-side and show tracks will be revealed 2/15 on buyearlygetnow.com, the official home of this and all future Matador preorders. As usual, this offer is available through a wide selection of music retailers, as well as through the Matador Store. The complete list of participating stores (plus all the further details you will ever need) can be found at buyearlygetnow.com

Still not sold? Sample the goods! Here's a link to listen to a track off of the rockeriffic 'Turn The Lights Out', "Double Vision"

12/20/06 —In the dark, nobody can see you're conserving electricity

We can officially confirm that March 20 marks the release date of The Ponys' long awaited 3rd album, 'Turn The Lights Out.' 

If you're into the instant gratification thing (and who isn't), please direct yourselves to HERE, where the shiny new "Double Vision" is available for your advance analysis.
In addition, the following dates are more real than man's inhumanity to man.

January
12-Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern  (Tomorrow Never Knows Festival)
13-Bloomington, IN @ Paulie's

March
18-Houston, TX @ The Mink
19-New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack's
21-Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
22-Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
23-Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
24-Washington DC @ Black Cat
25-Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
26-New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
27-Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's Place
31-Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium

12/04/06 —First MP3 from first Matador Records Ponys album
The Ponys - "Double Vision" (mp3), from the forthcoming stereophonic CD/LP, 'Turn The Lights Out' (March 20, 2007).

09/05/06 —The Ponys sign to Matador Records
After months of wining, dining, and more than a little dying, we're very happy to announce that the amazing Chicago quartet THE PONYS have been signed to a worldwide, multi-album pact with Matador Records.

photo by Scott Mellgren