Amadan is a Portland whiskey-in-the-jar rock/punk band that has been around for several years, and transcends the usual "Pogues as a genre" style through really great songwriting and very diverse instrumentation. There are synths and weird noises along with the sweeping power chords and weepy Irish ballad strings on their relentlessly autobiographical and musically multi-layered new album Pacifica.

Tomorrow night the five piece, led by singer-songwriter Eric Tonsfeldt, will be playing early in the evening at the comfy and friendly Mars Bar, at about 8 PM (their appearance has been moved up an hour for those who were already planning to go). I'm hoping Chad Marks will bring his fife, fiddle, and whistle, and that the sound will be good for Tonsfeldt's lyrics, which one can live in as deeply and romantically as the latest issue of Cometbus. "Anchor Tattoo" and "Mescaline" should really rattle the walls of the grunge era-haunted Mars Bar. 

While music from the likes of Amadan is usually more appropriate once we have a few Jameson's under our belts, I have the feeling the band is fresh-sounding and energetic enough to make this a great way to start a Saturday night, instead of ending it.