A Chicago-based tribute act built around playing Nirvana's catalog with nothing but live instruments is rolling into downtown Aurora this Friday. Smells Like Nirvana is scheduled to perform at The Venue at 8 p.m. on Oct. 23, with Dead Original also performing original music at the all-ages show.
The band plans to work through material from Nevermind, In Utero and Bleach, along with B-sides and rarer Nirvana cuts, according to the band's website. As reported by Shaw Local, the show is set for The Venue in downtown Aurora at 8 p.m. Dead Original will also perform original music at the all-ages event.
Fronting the tribute act is Paul Wandtke, who handles vocals and guitar and is identified on the band's site as a former member of Trivium. That same page lists Ty Del Rose on drums, noting his ties to 12 Stones and Ex Smile Empty Soul. Shaw Local also names Mike Petrasek as bassist, matching the band's site, but lists Christopher Scheutz as drummer, while the band's site lists Ty Del Rose.
No Tracks, Just Instruments
Part of the band's pitch is its commitment to playing everything live. The group has described its approach bluntly in past interviews: “we don't use tracks; we're just playing our instruments,” Wandtke told nuvo.net in an earlier conversation. The band's own site echoes that philosophy, stating its sets are played without click tracks or backing tracks.
Dead Original, which will perform its own original music at Friday's Aurora show, has a history of pairing with Smells Like Nirvana on past bills — the two acts previously shared a stage at the HiFi Annex on a Saturday, May 6, according to the same nuvo.net interview. The band has also opened Smells Like Nirvana tribute shows elsewhere with 30-minute sets of original material, per the band's website.
Tickets, Venue and Getting There
The Venue sits at 21 S Broadway in downtown Aurora and is owned and operated by the Fox Valley Music Foundation, according to bandsintown.com. General admission tickets start at $25 when purchased online in advance, with prices rising $5 at the door, Shaw Local reports. The show is open to all ages.
Street parking, public lots and garages are available within blocks of the venue.
