Strangeways, a tribute to The Smiths and Morrissey, lit up the stage at The Concert Lounge on Feb 10, serving a night of favorites from the English rock band, and their infamous front man.

Tribute bands can go in a few different directions, all of which are fun in their own way. Sometimes the band goes to great lengths to look identical to the band they are covering, and some times they don't make any effort to bring the bands look into the show, but rather just play their own version of the songs they are covering. Strangeways brings a solid recreation to the sound of the The Smiths and Morrissey songs they play, but more than that, the front man, Julian Ricardo, brings the vibe of Morrissey in such a perfect way.

No one is going to mistake Ricardo as being Morrissey if they meet in the streets, but when he is on the stage performing, you'd swear you were watching Morrissey in the heydays of his career. The packed house at The Concert Lounge ate up their renditions of Suedehead, and sang along with Shoplifters of the World Unite, and the energy was so much fun to be apart of.

The band overall does a fantastic job of going beyond the traditional tribute band energy and really make you feel like you're reliving your best 80's & 90's proto-EMO dreams, and I swear when I left the show I had an urge to go find a cemetery that I could discuss Keats and Yates with my friends in. Of course there is one way that they strongly differ from Morrissey, and that is when they are booked for a gig, they show up and play the gig!

Strangeways A Tribute to The Smiths & Morrissey is comprised of Julian Ricardo on vocals, Ralph Paredes on guitar, John Arrieta on acoustic and electric guitar, Brian Soto on bass, and Jorge Arroyo on drums. Follow them on the socials : Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, and YouTube.

The Concert Lounge is attached to Romano's Chicago Pizzeria, and has a regular Saturday lineup of great bands, some that play tribute to your favorite bands and others bringing their own sound. The stage and GA audience section are cozy and make for a fun, friendly, and intimate concert experience. Best of all, the bar is LITERALLY right there. So go and ejoy some delicious pizza and a show next Saturday!