Friday, Aug. 5, 2005 | 8:13 a.m.
"Animal Farm," "Lord of the Flies" and the ancient city of Pompeii. Not exactly the typical subject matter for rock music.
Then again, what would you expect from a band whose guitarist has spent the last month catching up on his Ernest Hemingway while trekking from show to show?
"One of our fans gave me 'The Sun Also Rises' and 'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway, and we had a huge drive the next day so I read 'The Sun Also Rises' and I was just floored," said Bobby Darling of Seattle outfit Gatsbys American Dream.
"Then I jumped right into 'A Farewell to Arms,' which was amazing, and then I went to Barnes & Noble and bought 'For Whom the Bell Tolls,' which also knocked me off my feet."
Despite his and his three bandmates' penchant for literature -- and a band name derived from "The Great Gatsby" -- Darling insists the quartet aren't particularly bookish. They're just different from the bands they usually share bills with.
"We've watched this grow into a band that's more ... I don't want to call it highbrow ... but it doesn't really hold any interest for me to do something I think that has been done before," Darling, 25, said. "One of the really attractive parts of doing this is the adventurous aspect, that we can explore musically and do things that haven't been done."
Locals can get a taste of that adventurous approach when Gatsbys American Dream stops by Jillian's on Sunday night. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the all-ages show, which also features pop-punk bands Allister, Plain White T's and Down to Earth Approach. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on Sunday.
If you like what you hear, check out Gatsbys' April release "Volcano," the quartet's third full-length disc.
As with 2003 CD "Ribbons & Sugar" -- which focused on George Orwell novel "Animal Farm" -- "Volcano" is a concept album, this time centered on the Mt. Vesuvius volcanic eruption that buried the city of Pompeii in 79 AD.
"It was always intriguing to us that people built a city in the shadow of a volcano ... the idea of that kind of arrogance or pride or hubris that would make man think he was so invincible," Darling said.
"That was the starting point of the record, and going off that story of Pompeii the record evolved into an amalgam of ideas focused around man's understanding of God, man's pride, man's lust ... But we kept coming back to the idea of the volcano."
Intrigued? It gets even crazier from there, with lyrical and musical motifs weaving in and out of the album's 13 tracks, not unlike something by the Mars Volta, the Who or early Genesis.
"We tried to make every song connect with at least two other songs in some way, either lyrically, musically or thematically," Darling said. "It's coming to the table thinking of your album as a whole experience rather than just writing a bunch of songs and recording them."
The atypical approach has helped Gatsbys gain a measure of notoriety -- Alternative Press Magazine awarded "Volcano" with a five-star rating -- and has also attracted a base of loyal fans who are determined to unravel the disc's obtuse lyrics and motifs.
"We have a really dedicated fan site where hundreds of our fans analyze the record and talk about all the connections between songs and the intricacies that are going on," Darling said. "A lot of our fans talk about it as kind of an experience, kind of a cinematic thing, like they went to a movie.
"It's not just listening to fluff that you understand the first time you hear it. I think the experiment has really paid off because it made the record have a lasting appeal to people. You can listen to it 100 times and not get tired of it."
Music notes
Vegoose is loose: The initial pack of confirmed acts for October's Vegoose festival was announced this week and as expected, the lineup has a distinct jam-band flavor.
That scene's two all-time biggest bands, the Grateful Dead and Phish, will be represented, by Phil Lesh & Friends and Trey Anastasio, respectively.
Throw in headliner Dave Matthews & Friends -- not to mention jam-band heavy hitters Widespread Panic, the String Cheese Incident, Gov't Mule and moe. -- and it's certain tie-dye, patchouli and guitar solos will be in full effect throughout the two-day event, slated for Oct. 29 and 30 at Sam Boyd Stadium and its adjacent fields.
But music fans who aren't long on long jams ought not to write Vegoose off quite yet. The 22-act list includes a diverse batch of promising performers, ranging from indie-rock (the Shins, the Decemberists, Spoon) to hip-hop (Blackalicious, Digable Planets, Atmosphere to funk (the Meters).
Considering two-day passes cost more than $140 (including fees, but not shipping), the jury is still out on whether Vegoose is a worthy buy for non-jammers.
Keep an eye on the official Web site and the lineup, for additional acts, which could make or break the event for a lot of locals. Should hotly rumored Pearl Jam be confirmed, for example, it could swing a lot of fence-sitters toward attending.
And if you are a jam-band fan, Vegoose is a can't-miss event. We'd suggest you book rooms now, but you probably did that weeks ago.
Around town: Area resident B.B. King brings his "Blues Fest," featuring support from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joe Bonamassa, to Primm's Star of the Desert Arena tonight. Tickets are $35 and $50 ...
Bocephus, better known as country star Hank Williams Jr., makes a rare Vegas appearance Saturday night at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $35 to $65 ...
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace plays host to two legendary ladies this week: Stevie Nicks on Saturday ($75 to $175) and Carole King on Wednesday $65 to $125). The shows are return engagements at the venue for both.
On sale
The Black Crowes double down with two shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel Oct. 14 and 15. Tickets are $60 and go on sale at noon Saturday at the Hard Rock box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.
Franz Ferdinand touches down at The Joint on Oct. 11. Tickets are $35 and go on sale at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Interpol plays The Joint on Sept. 19. Tickets are $25 and go on sale at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Jason Mraz performs at The Joint on Oct. 29. Tickets are $30 and go on sale at 3 p.m. today.
"Jazz Under Stars" featuring Hiroshima and Chaquico returns to Spring Mountain State Park on Sept. 3. Tickets are $52.50 and go on sale Saturday at Mr. Bills Pipe and Tobacco stores, at the UNLV performing arts box office or by phone at 1-800-969-8342. For more information, call 228-3780.
Dolly Parton brings her "Vintage Tour" to the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Oct. 1. Tickets are $62 to $142 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.
Tickets are on sale now for three other recent additions to the House of Blues calendar: ABC with Sweetest Infection on Sept. 3 ($20); Acceptance with the Receiving End of Sirens, Cartel, Augustana and Panic! at the Disco on Sept. 6 ($10) and Thrice with Underoath, the Bled and Veda on Oct. 4 ($15).
The Guess Who stop at the Club at the Cannery on Sept. 17. Tickets are $14 to $28 are on sale now.
Saturday's "More Drama" tour stop, which was to feature Yes members Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White, has been cancelled, along with the rest of the band's U.S. itinerary. Yes' official Web site sited immigration issues as the reason.
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