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Friday, September 5
La Zona Rosa (612 W. 4th Street)
$42, Doors at 7pm, All Ages
[info] | [tickets]
For those not familiar with Squeeze, the most obvious reference points are Crowded House and XTC. The duo of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook have been creating a clever, pop-based, amazingly catchy brand of music for over 30 years. Their work has led to countless hits, a loyal audience, and loads of bands like Razorlight and Lily Allen citing them as a touchstone and trying to emulate the band's effortless sound. The band's hit-filled catalog propelled them all the way to gigs at Wembley Arena and Madison Square Garden in their heyday, so it's a rare treat to have a 'greatest hits' show in La Zona Rosa's more modest confines.
You may know many of these tunes from flashback radio hours and Sirius 1st Wave, even if you can't initially place the titles. Hits like "Is That Love", "Pulling Mussels From the Shell", "Tempted", and "Take Me I'm Yours" are a good representation of the Squeeze sound, which has always been distinctive and successful despite never really being in fashion.
The 2008 edition of Squeeze features longtime members Difford, Tilbrook, and John Bentley along with newer additions on keyboards and drums. The band are touring this fall behind recent releases Essential Squeeze (a greatest-hits compilation) and Five Live.
Opening tonight's show is Austin's Fastball, perhaps the biggest pop success from Austin's 90's rock scene. The band's 1998 release All The Pain Money Can Buy spawned the massive radio hits "The Way" (which we always found very Elvis Costello-like) and "Out Of My Head," which led the group to platinum sales, two Grammy nominations, and national TV appearances. This success didn't repeat with 2000 follow-up The Harsh Light Of Day, and the band retreated to more moderate venues. The trio has a undeniable knack for power pop, and stood head and shoulders above almost all the other radio fare of the era. Fastball may be previewing material from their forthcoming 2009 release tonight, so it's worth coming early should you attend tonight's show.
For a chance to attend tonight's show for free, enter your details on the form below. Good luck!
This contest is now closed.
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And don't forget Squeeze's "Black Coffee in Bed"! =) [YouTube]