When Squeeze emerged on the burgeoning London post-punk/new-wave scene in 1978, song-writing duo Chris Difford (lyrics) and Glenn Tillbrook (melodies) were touted by the notoriously hyperbolic English press as the era's answer to Lennon/McCartney. While they may not have gone on to have 27 #1 singles, play Shea Stadium, or spawn a cultural revolution, they did manage to churn out some of the most thoroughly enjoyable records of the late '70s and early '80s. Cool For Cats, Argybargy and East Side Story are all essential listening for fans of Elvis Costello, The Police, or XTC looking to dig a bit deeper. Having reunited after nearly a decade of inactivity, Difford and Tillbrook will be bringing their Midas Touch to the Ryman Auditorium on Saturday night. If their 2007 live LP 5 Live is any indication, the setlist is sure to be chock full of classics like "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," "Slightly Drunk," "Annie Get Your Gun" and, of course, "Tempted." Acerbic pop songstress Aimee Mann—who ain't too shabby herself—opens.
Wed., Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m., 2008
