Popular local rock act Meriwether will be promoting the “Jersey Shore” GTL (gym, tan, laundry) lifestyle at the Varsity on Friday night.The band, along with supporting acts The Vettes and Leaving Brightside, is hosting a themed party centered around the popular MTV reality show and the band members will dress the part along with the crowd.”If the crowd’s going to be in costume, we’ll be just as ridiculous with them,” drummer Sam Anderson said. “We’ll be up onstage with the blowout hair and the popped collars having a blast. It’s gonna be one big party.”Meriwether is not averse to novelty ideas for their shows — they hosted a Zombie Halloween party in Lafayette last year.”My wife actually wanted to host a party at our house with the ‘Jersey Shore’ theme, so we used that idea and put it up for a vote against a few other choices on our Twitter and Facebook,” Anderson said. “Our fans gave us some positive feedback for ‘Jersey Shore’ night and we went with it.” The band recently released “Plug in the Snakes” in the fall  — their follow-up album to 2005’s acclaimed “Make Your Move.” “Snakes” was only made available in limited physical pressings.The album of edgy, grown-up rock is now slated to receive wide digital release in March. The band professes to have no grand motives in waiting so long to put out the album in a digital format but does promise fans it will be worth the wait.”We honestly sort of rushed the physical version out, so in a lot of ways it was unfinished, which caused us to go back and remaster the songs and make some production changes to them and add, I think, two remixes to the digital release,” said lead vocalist Andrew Reilley. “The digital copy is actually a completely different product.”Reilley noted the second record’s aggressive sound should have fans fist-pumping like champs all night Friday to the music.”The songs take on a whole new life because they are so high-energy and fun to play, so they translate really well for a live crowd,” Reilley said.The band has played at the Varsity numerous times during the last several years, but Anderson said the local support never fails to inspire.”Our fans here are just so amazing and dedicated, so a night like this is a way to show them a different side of us during our concerts and maybe even connect with other people who may not have heard us while they have a great time,” Anderson said.Reilley said the “guido” getups and hairstyles the show is likely to attract will add spice to the performance.”[The show] is just a way for us to loosen up as a band and reward our fans for their support,” Reilley said. “Plus, I can’t wait to see some of the outrageous stuff people will have on.”Meriwether’s high-octane set serves as an oddly fitting complement to a night of fist-pumping and tanned, gelled guidos and guidettes.”Everybody gets to let loose and just play guido for a night,” Anderson said.The show begins at 9 p.m and tickets are $10.
 
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