Platinum Boys have enjoyed a pretty big year. The band’s great debut album, Future Hits, was called a “solid get-wasted soundtrack” by Pitchfork—and similarly-flattering things by various other respected music publications—en route to quickly selling out of its first pressing within weeks of its March release. The Boys embarked on a few short tours between a bunch of memorable local outings that included Dusty Medical’s 10-Year Anniversary Festival, Locust Street Festival, and Burnhearts’ 8th annual Pabst Street Party. Somehow, four dudes whose music stresses the principles of freedom, fun, and getting fucked up managed to be productive enough amid all the positive press, hazy shows, and great music videos to write songs for a second release—the forthcoming Junior Varsity, out December 4 on Forged Artifacts—and shoot another, even better music video for said release’s first single.
“Downtown” in all its wonderfully-sloppy, ’70s era glory gets perfect visual representation in this no-budget video shot, edited, and directed by TW Hansen. It finds half the Platinum Boys cruising around in a souped-up lime green Chevy with a trunk of narcotics, fireworks, and Sunrise Foods-pilfered Miller Lite as the other half of the band (dressed a police officers) chase them around town in an old squad car. Beers are chugged, pills are eaten, rubber is burned, and Mark Borchardt is forced off the road.
True to their rocker personas, Joe Peterson says the chase scenes and the car crash were filmed without securing permits or blocking off streets. “[We] just did it,” Peterson says. “It was pretty stressful being dressed as a cop in a cop car with ’92 plates.”
Platinum Boys will embark on a 15-day, 14-show tour beginning November 29 that will culminate with a December 13 homecoming show.