Life-Affirming Rock Music: Indie Band The Districts Will Return to Missoula

Pennsylvania-based indie garage rockers The Districts will headline a live concert at the Top Hat on Friday, February 1, 2019. Chicago-based rock group Deeper will open.

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The total electric charge of Popular Manipulations is just the latest evolution for the impressively young quartet, whose founding members — vocalist/guitarist Rob Grote, bassist Connor Jacobus, and drummer Braden Lawrence — have known each other since attending grade school together in the Pennsylvania town of Lititz. After deciding to form a band in high school, the Districts gigged hard in the tri-state area, releasing a slew of promising material (including the rootsy 2012 debut Telephone) before catching the eye of venerable indie Fat Possum. 2015’s A Flourish and a Spoil found the band refining their embryonic sound with veteran producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Kurt Vile) — and looking back on that release, there are glimmers of Popular Manipulations in chrysalis form to be found on it, hints of the fence-swinging anthemic sound they’d soon make wholly their own.

“Popular Manipulations is a powerful and punchy set of songs by a group of men whose talent has finally caught up to its ambition. It demands and commands your attention.” – NPR

For such weighty thematic material, though, Popular Manipulations is purely life-affirming rock music, bursting with energy that cuts through the darkness of the world that surrounds us. “We’re a much better distillation of who we wish to be as a band,” Grote reflects on the journey that has led the Districts to this point. “We’ve figured out how to distill the things we’ve been trying to accomplish as a band, musically and lyrically. We’ve always viewed making music as something we’re trying to do better the whole time.” Mission accomplished.

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 26 at 10am, at The Top Hatonline or by phone at (877) 987-6487. All tickets are general admission standing room only with limited bench seating available on a first come first served basis. All ages are welcome. Additional ticketing and venue information can be found here.

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