Friday To-Do: Gringo Star / The Reds
GRINGO STAR
9 p.m., White Water Tavern. $5.
9 p.m., White Water Tavern. $5.
Back in the early days of American Princes touring, they made pals with an Atlanta band called A Fir-Ju Well and brought them to town to play Vino's. They were great. A four-piece, the fellas alternated instruments often and played really fiery Kinks-style Brit Pop with some psych flourishes. Two years ago, they changed their name (too many people asked them how to pronounce A Fir-Ju Well) to Gringo Star. They've played here pretty steadily since, but until now, I always pegged them for a mariachi Beatles cover band or some novelty something to pass on. Don't repeat my mistake. On the heels of a forthcoming album produced by Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, P. Diddy), they've given the Internet “All Y'all,” a garage-pop gem filled with steady handclaps, shimmering harmonies and enough general low-key infectiousness to lead one to believe that soon it might be hard not to know Gringo Star. The Reds, the local minimalist pop-rockers, could hold down this bill alone, and it'd still be essential listening.
