The band, which originated in Bloomington, paid homage to the holidays in costumes and in its set list.
Lead singer Corey Frye wore a chef apron and toque, and sang pieces like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
“It’s always more laid back (in Bloomington) — the solos get a little more loose, the vocals jam a little more,” Frye said. “It’s a complete comfort zone.”
Between opener Low Spark and the main act, the Bluebird had a costume contest for single entrants, couples and groups.
Characters like Wayne and Garth from the movie “Wayne’s World” and the Jamaican bobsled team from the movie “Cool Runnings” contended for applause.
The stop at the Bluebird was the latest in the tour to promote the band’s new album, which was produced by Randy Jackson of “American Idol.”
Frye said Jackson was “adamant” that the Main Squeeze not change its music — a blend of each member’s background in a different genre.
“It’s still funky, soul, rock and roll,” Frye said. “But more precise.”
The album title, “Mind Your Head,” came from a popular sign in China, Frye said, which can be taken multiple ways.
Frye said the music from the Main Squeeze is so eclectic and can be interpreted in so many ways that the band wanted the term to let people know not to try too hard to describe it — to just let it be.
“It’s also actually ‘watch your head,’ because it’s going to get a little hot in here,” Frye said.
Frye said the band collaborated with some other writers on a few songs, but kept its own sound intact for the new album.
“It is and always will be our own music, with the help of some friends,” Frye said.
The group moved to Chicago in 2012, and will soon migrate to Los Angeles, where it worked on the second album.
“In the process, we really just wanted to be somewhere warmer in the winter,” Frye said. “In Chicago, the winters can get pretty brutal.”
Frye said the Main Squeeze tries to play in Bloomington once or twice a semester and takes a little time to visit favorite restaurants and haunts.
“It’s mostly food stuff,” Frye said. “This place is so special, we try to get around.”
Frye said the audiences at the Bluebird were fun to play to, since some of the listeners would already be familiar with its music.
“The cool thing about a college town is that it’s always rotating,” Frye said. “We get a mix of the carry-over of ... the people who have loved us since the first day they saw us and the people who are seeing us for the first time.”
