Thurs. 9/18 7:55 p.m. | Cicero's

(St. Louis, Mo.) pop/punk

Building Rome's humor-infused, tongue-in-cheek lyrics have kept listeners in awe—and in stitches—since the beginning. A taste of Building Rome's flavor includes a self-conscious gangster who wants to become a rapper, a romp through the Bahamas with a belly dancer girl, and wanting to be with your girlfriend's best friend (a song that cost Heisserer his then-current girlfriend). Although they have a wide repertoire of comedy stylings, their music stretches to both ends of the spectrum. Building Rome has recently taken some time off to record new material, a story told from the first-person viewpoint of a man in a mental institution. The vibe of the 4 new recordings has been compared to a musical love affair: if Jimmy Eat World had a love child with Alkaline Trio and abandoned it on Something Corporate's doorstep, the end result would be these songs.

St. Louis, Mo. | www.myspace.com/buildingrome

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