Danko Would Play With Boy Bands

With Danko Jones currently proving a scrappy indie rock band can still make it these days, it could just be a matter of time before their new record, Born A Lion, is right up there in the charts with all the divas, the pop darlings and the Can-rock icons of the day.

Rather than flinch disdainfully at the prospect, Danko Jones, the man, says they'd welcome an opportunity to saddle up beside their high-gloss contemporaries.

"Everybody's always asking us, 'Would you play with a boy band?' Or 'Would you play with Our Lady Peace?' And we've always said yeah. You shoot yourself in the foot if you say no," says Jones. "Are we gonna lose cool points? Are we going to lose cred? Bands who are scared of that aren't very secure of themselves or their music. But that means they're not cool because they're worrying about it."

Not that their noble Play Anywhere attitude isn't without its hip, jaded edge though. Adds drummer Damon Richardson, "I think we should only play with Sparta."

Pokes at elitist types aside, Danko have now reached the all-important "breakout" phase in their career. Sure, up until now the scenester buzz was fine, but solid success in Europe and having Born A Lion distributed through Universal in Canada and Japan has changed things. Now's the time to get in front of people and win them over.

"There's two shows really," says Jones. "There's one show where you play to your audience, a converted audience. They understand where you're coming from. And the second audience is an audience that doesn't know where you're coming from. And that's like a challenge because we want to convert them. That's what we've been waiting for. We've been waiting to get the chance."

With the band currently crossing Canada this month and another set of Canadian dates in the works for later in the year, the band will surely get the chance to put their money where their mouths are — and maybe cause some trouble along the way.

"We're going on tour in the fall," says JC. "We'll be across Canada in September and October. Then we'll be across Europe for three months. More Canadian shows. Then Japan and Australia."

To which Jones adds one final footnote:

"Chicks in Australia look like Kylie Minogue. And Holly Valence. And Olivia Newton-John!"

Danko's upcoming tour dates:
August 9 Jasper, AB @ Athabasca Hotel
August 10 Calgary, AB @ SnoJam
August 12 Winnipeg, MB @ Windsor Inn
August 22 Malmo, Sweden KB
August 24 Belgium, Pukkel Pop Festival
August 25 Holland, Lowlands Festival
September 10 London ON @ Fanshawe College
September 14 Toronto, ON @ Sno Jam