All the way from San Francisco, The Wrong Words will bring the right music to The Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St., Thursday night.
On tour with shows from Chicago to New York City, the rock trio will deliver what singer and guitarist Josh Miller said was a desire to bring a thoughtful, modern take on pop music to bars.
“The idea is for people to tap their feet and bop their heads and keep humming the tunes long after they hear them, but also feel something, like there’s some kind of emotional communication beneath the poppy-ness of the songs,” Miller said.
Miller added that the band is inspired by Australian indie rock band The Go-Betweens, known for its strong songwriting from front man Robert Forster.
“Robert Forster from the Go-Betweens said that when they started the band they wanted to mix The Monkees and Patti Smith,” Miller said. “To be a pop band like The Monkees but with the poetic depth of someone like Patti Smith … I think that’s pretty close to a description of what we’re trying to do.”
Another one of the band’s influences is reflected in the group’s name — The Wrong Words. When looking for the name, Miller settled on the song “Fantastic Voyage” by David Bowie, which has the line, “And the wrong words make you listen/In this criminal world.”
“When I was trying to find a name for this band, one of the things I did was try to listen to a bunch of songs and see if any lines or phrases popped out,” Miller said. “Since four years later I can still say it out loud without cringing, I definitely consider it a good enough name.”
The band is releasing a new album, Everything is Free, on Sept. 17 — the follow-up to its self-titled debut. The record will be released under the Chicago record label Trouble In Mind.
The Wrong Words are joined on the bill by two Athens bands. Punk duo Slut Castle will open the show, and Busy Busy, a band comprised of members from Athens regulars Small Steps, will close.
Scott Winland, booking agent for The Union, said the show will be one that regular patrons would appreciate.
“(The Wrong Words) are a great touring damaged-pop band,” Winland said. “(They’re) lots of fun.”
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