Lindsey Buckingham Appreciation Society: Mirage

No matter how mainstream and unhip a band is, there is always the chance that it will become so unhip that its very unhipness will make it hip. Especially if something's got actual merits, after a sufficient amount of time has passed, distance will bring the perspective that says that the band's demerits have been overstated and are unfairly overshadowing its value. Throw in a healthy dose of nostalgia for something fondly remembered, and the "fifty million [fill-in-the-blank] fans can't be wrong" syndrome turns out to be true.

Take some of the '80s production sheen off of Mirage and it might sound even better. That's why I'm going to be at Littlefield on Saturday night to hear the Philadelphia-based Lindsey Buckingham Appreciation Society play all of Mirage, plus other Mac and Buckingham material.

Who is in the LBAS? From their website:

"We presently count among our ranks founding members Charlie Hall, a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who has played with Jens Lekman, The War on Drugs, Windsor for the Derby, Tommy Guerrero, and others; and drummer Patrick Berkery, who has played with Danielson, Pernice Brothers, Bigger Lovers, Photon Band, Mazarin, and others over the years.

"The current lineup also includes Birdie Busch, a Philadelphia-based singer and songwriter with several wonderful solo albums to her credit; bassist Dave Wayne Daniels of The Capitol Years; and vocalist/keyboardist Eliza Hardy Jones and vocalist/guitarist Brandon Beaver, both members of the highly regarded band Buried Beds."

When they played Tusk in its entirety two years ago, they did a good job of balancing attention to detail with an avoidance of slavish imitation. What they lacked in the multi-million-dollar polish of their role models, they made up for with exuberance, as can be heard in this concert version of the title track and "Never Forget."

 - Steve Holtje

Johnny Brenda's is at 1201 North Frankford Ave. in Philadelphia.

Littlefield is at 622 DeGraw St. in Brooklyn.

Mr. Holtje is a Brooklyn-based editor, poet, and composer whose song cycle Songs of Mortality, setting tanka by Fumiko Nakajo, is finally complete at twelve songs. It is the most depressing set of songs since Mahler's Kindertotenlieder.