New Pornographers up to the Challenge at CMU

The New Pornographers are one of the few bands where you go to the show not knowing which of the members are going to show up.

But considering that Neko Case has a new album out, it was college gig and the band isn't even really on tour, it was no surprise that she wasn't with them at the CMU Spring Carnival Friday night. Neither was Dan Bejar for that matter, as he's also busy with Swan Lake and Destroyer.

The impressive thing about The New Pornographers is that their shows are still great without them. Frontman A.C. Newman, just here last month for a solo gig at the Warhol, was up to the challenge with sidekick and niece Kathryn Calder, who doesn't have the siren voice of Case, but still manages to fill in on those parts with energy and beauty.

The band played a set similar to the one at the Carnegie Library in Homestead last year, with a heavy dose of the latest album, "Challengers," including the lovely title track and driving power-pop of "All the Old Showstoppers" and "All the Things that Go To Make Heaven and Earth."

Newman and company did touch on all four albums, going back to "Mass Romantic" for the revved-up set-closer of "The Slow Descent into Alcoholism," which he joked pretty much summed up his college years. For the encore, New Pornographers drew on power-pop icons ELO with a pounding verson of "Don't Let Me Down."

Ted Leo + and the Pharmacists -- a Pittsburgh favorite and another band that doesn't seem to be on tour at the moment (but is returning to Diesel in June) -- opened with a typically high energy set pleasantly reminiscent of The Jam.

It wasn't quite as high spirited as last year's gig with The Roots and the Pens-Flyers game may have impacted the crowd size, but it was still a festive night of great songs on the lawn.

 PHOTO BY HUGH TWYMAN, who blogs at www.hughshowredux.blogspot.com

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