The War on Drugs comes to B-town

Like a silver rocket barreling down a dusty Highway 61, Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs will blow through Bloomington at 10 p.m. Friday at Bear’s Place, playing their third show of a short seven-stop tour. Tickets cost $6.

Tangling spacey guitar, organ and harmonica around Dylan-esque vocals, the band has received a lot of attention for their unique sound, which blends classic Americana songwriting with Sonic Youth-style noise.

“They’re definitely an up-and-coming band on Secretly Canadian,” said Jason Nickey, co-owner of Landlocked Music.

Despite being signed to the Bloomington-based label, this will be the group’s first visit to town.

Though its full-length debut “Wagonwheel Blues” was mostly a collaboration between singer/multi-instrumentalist Adam Granduciel and multi-instrumentalist Kurt Vile, Granduciel said the band’s oft-changing live lineup has become solidified and is more experienced since their recent European tour.

“It’s always been changing in the hopes of having a good core,” Granduciel said.

“Everyone gets really tight and takes it to the next level every night. I’m happy that we’re going to have the same lineup.”

The War on Drugs was set to open for Brooklyn’s The Hold Steady on a European tour until that band’s guitarist, Tad Kubler, fell ill with pancreatitis, causing the tour’s cancelation. The War on Drugs continued on alone, playing 30 shows in six weeks, but Granduciel and bassist David Hartley were fired from their jobs while overseas, a surprise that Granduciel said has brought about a positive change.

“It’s actually been the best thing that ever happened, not having to do anything for a couple of weeks,” said Granduciel, adding that he has used the time to rearrange his studio and do some recording.

Although Granduciel said he did not to expect a follow-up to “Wagonwheel Blues” anytime soon, he said that the band’s record-in-progress will be a different animal from its predecessor.

Using live recordings in the studio and the potential of the band’s full lineup, Granduciel said the new record could be largely instrumental, and the group will likely play some of its new material at Bear’s and elsewhere on tour.

“We’ll probably throw a few new tunes in, or at least new ideas,” Granduciel said. “It’ll be an excuse to get the guys to play on it for a few weeks.”

The night will also feature local indie rockers husband&wife and Chicago’s Lacona. husband&wife will release its new record “Dark Dark Woods” on its own label, Crossroads of America Records in February, but the band is currently busy recording another, which guitarist Mike Adams described as “our rock record.”

“We’ve got a lot of material hanging around now that we need to give a home to,” Adams said. “It’s an exciting time around here.”

With finals and the holidays swiftly approaching, Adams is excited for the show, which he said will be something of a farewell to 2008 for the band.

“This will probably end up being our last show of the year, so it’ll be a nice sendoff for the holidays,” Adams said. “I just hope a lot of people can make it out for the evening. It’s gonna be a good time.”