Founded in 2003 as the Blackbirds, they formed to back a local singer/songwriter who abruptly left town for New York City, forcing the trio to compose a set of songs in order to make good on a previously booked live gig; the performance was so successful they opted to continue, soon releasing an EP, Emergency, on their own Mythologies label. Upon learning of a rival Blackbirds unit, the group renamed itself Pit Er Pat in honor of a painting by Chicago artist Jim Nutt, in early 2004 reissuing Emergency on the Overcoat label; after releasing a 12", "The Babies Are Tired," on the tiny Born and Raised on Sugar label, Pit Er Pat signed to Thrill Jockey, issuing their first full-length effort, Shakey, in early 2005. The following year, they teamed up twice in the studio with Tortoise's John McEntire as producer: first on the 3D Message EP and again that fall on the full-length Pyramids. Pit Er Pat recorded their third album, 2008's High Time, in their own studio, incorporating a horn section and percussion ranging from bongos to agogo bells, making it their most musically complex album to date. Touring Europe and appearing at the ATP Festival inspired 2010's The Flexible Entertainer, which melded the exotic feel of High Time with more expansive structures and stripped-down instrumentation. ~ Jason Ankeny