Chomsky

With a crazed glare, singer Sean Halleck declared his band's intentions on CBS' Late Late Show: "Chomsky is coming!" The catchy August 2004 performance was a welcome change of pace for Dallas' XTC-loving pop-rockers, who had seen no radio or video support after signing a national deal with Aezra Records. Unfortunately, the glimmer of mainstream hope was brief, as Aezra failed to capitalize on the moment, and Chomsky stalled out again. When members moved on to side projects, fans assumed the worst, but last month, the band returned, and comebacks don't get much better. They appeared at Austin's SXSW festival with a back-to-form, hiatus-ending concert, and Bravo can't stop showing the band's performance on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, in which the Fab Five's Carson fawns over guitarist Glen Reynolds. Celebrate the band's return Saturday at the new Barley House on Yale Street, where alt-country up-and-comers Zapruder Sequence will open.