Kick Out the Jams: Gomez at House of Blues, Sept. 22

Gomez may have found itself a place as a darling among American rock critics, but the band is still hard at work on popular audiences, as the less than half-full House of Blues proved during last week's show. And that's a shame, both for the group, which played great anyway, and for those who missed what was probably one of the House of Blues' better shows this year.

The band, made up of six Brits who rotate instruments and roles regularly, was more than capable of bringing out its American-sounding rock over the 20-song set. Ian Ball, Ben Ottewell and Tom Gray, the three main vocalists, churned out impressive performances as frontmen in their own right, while also harmonizing and blending their voices with ease. Ottewell's gruff, Eddie Vedderesque bass managed to sound intimidating on the opener, "Get Miles," but aching and tortured much later on "There It Was," while Ball and Gray's smoother voices delivered well, particularly on lighter tunes like "Catch Me Up," "These 3 Sins" and "Love Is Better Than a Warm Trombone."

Despite the small crowd and no real hometown affiliation, Ball announced more than halfway through the set that it was time to start the "Vegas-themed" part of the show. He explained, "Ben and I were in a casino here a few years ago, and I don't even remember which one it was, but it was a shithole, and we wrote this song about that night," before launching into "Las Vegas Dealer." Then he said, "We've got a little something special for you, Vegas," followed by a shout-out to Elvis with Gomez's grunge version of "Hound Dog."

Even though Gomez didn't pack the house, its audience was enthusiastic enough that the band even turned the chorus of an extended version of "Get Myself Arrested" over to the fans. While a few songs, notably "Sweet Virginia" and "Detroit Swing 66," sounded a little unbalanced and hollow at times due to missing string and horn arrangements, Gomez brought enough energy and talent to the stage to more than compensate.--Maria Phelan