Let’s Go Out Tonight: Keeping the Faint — August 18, 2008

DANSE MACABRE The Faint, from Omaha, Neb., is a band known for leading its fans toward a more idealistic view of life, at least for a night. Considered one of the forerunners of the current trend of adding dance-pop and new-wave influences to punk and rock music, the band has been releasing albums and touring since the late 1990s. One can hear the Faint’s influence today on the music of such bands as MGMT and MSTRKRFT. Lately, the Faint has been touring in support of its latest album, “Fasciinatiion,” which was released August 5 on its own label, blank.wav. (The band endured a well-publicized split from Saddle Creek Records earlier this year — that label is known for birthing other indie starlets such as Bright Eyes.) The group has seen numerous changes in its almost decade-long career of making music, starting out as a duo called Norman Bailer, featuring Clark and Todd Baechle (who now calls himself Todd Fink). Jacob Thielle and Joel Petersen joined later, and in 2001, a death-metal guitarist, Dapose, completed the roster. Performing along with the Faint tonight are an indie-rock band, Shy Child, and an alternative hip-hop group, Antipop Consortium.