Chicago-based The Like Young is bringing its power pop to Mac's Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, on Saturday during the first week of its nationwide tour.
Joe Ziemba plays guitar and sings, while wife Amanda Ziemba pounds the drums and also belts out some vocals. The duo released its first full-length album, "Art Contest," in May and hopes to release another CD once the tour is complete.
The band's sound, reminiscent of Elvis Costello, will also hit Detroit on Sunday.
"When we started the band, we were kind of uncertain of what we wanted to do," Joe said, adding that the two used to be members of the band Wolfie. "We knew we wanted to keep playing music."
So, the couple, who have been playing together in bands since 1997, knocked out 11 tracks on its 24-minute debut album, but Joe said there was a rationale behind his decision to make the album somewhat short.
"We didn't want to overload it with anything we didn't need," he said.
Joe and Amanda will take the stage after 11:15 p.m. Mac's booking agent Steve Lambert said the bar is confident the band will be a hit with the crowd.
"They have a pretty good following in Chicago," Lambert said, adding that the group's image will also enhance its appeal. "Garage rock does very well at Mac's."
Lambert works with a Chicago booking agent who offered Mac's the opportunity to host The Like Young for a night.
Lambert said he has heard some of the group's music and was impressed.
The album kicks off with the less-than-two-minute ditty "Expensive Tastes." Joe's high-pitched guitar and Amanda's smacking on the drums leads into the angry lyrics:
"Do people really act like that?/They break your dirty clocks/Stuff my mouth with bagels, in return your words are gold/We think you're a genius (of course that's just between us)/Use tears, that always works."
But it's not that song which Joe is most proud of.
"'Snobs and Slobs,' I think is my favorite," Joe stated. "I really like the lyrics."
The song's lyrics are typical of the album's angry tone, complemented with frantic strumming on the guitar and a simple drum beat.
"When you know you've been lied to for a dollar's sake/You two get so smug it makes me think I'm less/You grease your pocketbook and win our art contest/Go ahead - say I'm nothing/It's private, no one hears you."
Meanwhile, Joe knows there are many new rock bands aspiring for success, so he remains diplomatic on his band's chances of making it big.
"We don't put ourselves above anyone else," he said. "We have just as much a chance as everyone else."
