What can you say: this guy loves Britpop. If you had to chart Eureka California on a Blur timeline, Ward's solo material would definitely fall towards the latter end of Blur's career, sharing more in common with the darker, complex layers of Blur or maybe Think Tank than the playful cheekiness of Parklife. Basically, Ward's solo project is an homage to the way Britpop sounded once people like Graham Coxon became fans of American indie rock like Pavement. So, it's more than fitting that he names all of the above as touchstones. The guitarist and vocalist for local band The Complete Adventurer started this project in August of this year. Right now it's a solo venture, but he seems open to expanding the lineup in the future. In fact, Ward says he'll be releasing a single soon under the name Eureka California that features three songs with a full-band treatment. Even though the Flicker show will be Eureka California's first, you can already hear the tunes online at www.myspace.com/eurekacalifornia.

Next show: Friday, Oct. 10 at Flicker (with Favorite Cousin!).

Michelle Gilzenrat