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Local Motion: Lithium: A Tribute to Nirvana
7 p.m. Thursday, November 23. Pop’s (1403 Mississippi Avenue Sauget, Illinois).
By Jaime Lees
Published: November 22, 2006

A cover-band concert is like a drag queen: The show is familiar, predictable and includes the performer’s personal flair. But a tribute-band gig is more like a tranny, in that it’s trying to “pass” and mimic the features that would identify it as the band it’s honoring. In all cases, the illusion usually works best when seen across a smoky bar. Lithium: A Tribute to Nirvana plays convincing covers that span the length of Nirvana’s career — from the sludge of Bleach to the glorious chaos of In Utero. The band members themselves don’t much look like Nirvana, but their clothing, stage setup and attempts to stay in character more than make up for it. Lithium’s bassist bounds around barefoot, and the singer sports Cobain’s shoulder-length blond bob and iconic green grandpa sweater.

• article link
• Lithium: A Tribute to Nirvana - website

Gringo Star
9 p.m. Friday, November 3. The Tin Ceiling (3159 Cherokee Street).
By Jaime Lees
Published: November 1, 2006

A Fir-Ju Well was a horrible band name. What did it mean? How was it spelled? How did you even pronounce it? Well, forget it, because A Fir-Ju Well has recently changed its name to the equally confusing (but easily spelled) Gringo Star (www.myspace.com/thegringostars). These Atlanta boys make frequent stops in our section of the Big Muddy, and those who have seen them play haven’t forgotten them: The mop-headed rockers draw a bigger crowd every time they hit town. Gringo Star describe their sound as “big beat psychedelic Southern rock & roll,” and their deep, trippy style has indeed drawn favorable comparisons to the Flaming Lips and the Beatles — but their thick sound and liberal use of the cowbell pushes them far into the rock & roll category.

• article link
• Gringo Star - MySpace