SLCene Suggests: Naive Melodies and No-Nation Orchestra at The State Room

NAIVE MELODIES/NO-NATION ORCHESTRA, THE STATE ROOM, Thursday, Jan. 9, 8 p.m., $12

The whole idea of checking out a tribute band that is tackling one of your all-time favorite acts is rife with potential disaster. At times, they can provide an ecstatic evening worthy of the music that inspired the tribute. At others, they can destroy an old favorite in such a way that you’ll never be able to hear the original song in quite the same way, or without remembering the disastrous “homage.” It’s happened to me. With all that as a long preamble, I approached Naive Melodies with caution. The California trio dedicated to the Talking Heads is playing The State Room Thursday night, and from all Internet evidence, the threesome manages to spark a decent dance party tackling the oeuvre of David Byrne, Tina Weymouth and Co. The real reason to make your way to The State Room, though, is the performance by local opener No-Nation Orchestra, a collective of familiar faces from a slew of Utah’s best bands, delivering a feverish brand of worldly sounds that will get the room primed for the classics to come.