About The Evens

The Evens have been quiet in 2014

Are the odds stacked against The Evens? Yes, the band played several blocks of tour dates in 2013, including a swing through the Northeast with stops in Providence, Easthampton, New Haven and a number of other cities. But while the band that is still the 'current project' of Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina, you have to admit they've been awfully quiet lately… and we can't help but wonder if it's a sign that MacKaye has turned to other projects.

OK, so maybe other 'projects' isn't just a reference to MacKaye's being the frontman of other post-hardcore bands like Embrace and Fungazi, as well as a member of the Teen Idles. In fact, he made headlines recently after becoming immersed in an apparel battle that ended with Minor Threat t-shirts on sale at Urban Outfitters for a cool $28.

MacKaye was a part of Minor Threat back in the '80s, and told Washington City Paper that the shirts are licensed, legitimate merchandise. He explained that his label, Dischord, doesn't make the shirt, the amount of bootlegged merchandise prompted him to take the action and allow Urban Outfitters to print official tees.

MacKaye has dealt with bootlegged merchandise in the past. Specifically, Dischord took on Forever 21 when the retailer carried unlicensed Minor Threat merchandise in 2009. Four years prior, Nike also pulled a poster for a skateboarding tour titled Major Threat for its uncanny resemblance to Minor Threat's album artwork.

As far as when MacKaye might have noise to make again as part of The Evens? The return of the band is unknown, but SeatGeek will keep you updated to all the latest happenings if new tour dates are announced.

The Evens play "The Odds" (Created May 1, 2013)

Meet this Washington D.C. indie-rock duo, formed way back in the fall of 2001 and comprised of husband and wife duo Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina. They both play. They both sing. And MacKaye himself holds the esteemed title of hardcore punk pioneer, having been the frontman for both Minor Threat and Fugazi much earlier in his career.

Together, MacKaye and Farina are known as "The Evens." Their career was sparked just as Fugazi entered a hiatus, and after playing a few shows and recording a self-titled album, they were on their way. Soon, the pair became known for both unusual choices in venues for their concerts, and a stylistic change for what had been dubbed the "D.C." or "Dischord" sound.

The Evens first turned heads in late 2003 when they created a video for the original children's song "Vowel Movement." It featured upbeat music and sing-along lines akin to something that would be heard on the famed children's show "Sesame Street." The song, for whatever reason, became a fan favorite (though the duo won't perform it on stage).

In the summer of 2006, MacKaye and Farina recorded new music that they wrote earlier in the year. A few months later came the release of their second album, "Get Evens," but by 2008 the pair was busied with another important aspect of their intertwined life – parenthood. They welcomed their first son, Carmine Francis Farina MacKaye, on May 24, 2008.

It would be June 22, 2012 before the Evans announced they were working on a new album. That project, "The Odds," would be released on November 20, 2012 and landed on Sterogum's list of Top 50 albums of the year.