As I'm sure you've heard, Gene sound like the Smiths. From the self-analytical, poetic plea-and-whine of frontman Martin Rossiter's lyrics, to their sarcastic, drawn-out song titles ("Truth, Rest Your Head," "I Love You, What Are You?"), right down to Rossiter's Morrissey-lifted nickname (The Rozzer), the resemblance is impossible to ignore. But hold on a minute: the Smiths are dead, and may they rest in peace. And Gene only touches on the maudlin magic their groundbreaking mentors once wielded.

\\Live, much of the power Gene does have is lost in the mediocre shuffling of Rossiter and his bandmates. Easing into the uncharacteristically upbeat "New Amusements" from their latest album, "Drawn to the Deep End," Rossiter's slight, high-pitched croon seemed too much a pathetic imitation of the Mozzer and the charismatic, brooding stage presence he once employed. (On a non-Smiths related note, guitarist Steve Mason was a dead ringer for Men At Work's Colin Hay, with his white loafers, slacks and tank-top complemented by his unbuttoned button down and Crocodile Dundee-inspired bush hat.)

\\The band partly compensated for its lack of stage presence with tight playing. On "Voice of the Father," a song about a child's fear and loathing in a male-dominated and physically abusive household, Rossiter turned from a whiny, somewhat enigmatic frontman into a passive, seemingly obsessive lunatic, honing in on the crowd with a trance-like, wicked stare. He later snapped out of it for a fine rendition of "London, Can You Wait" from the band's 1995 debut.

\\Rossiter's homoerotic cynicism shined as well. After playing the "Drawn" standout "Where Are They Now," Rossiter bellowed, "On to lighter subjects, the fine art of shagging." Then, while performing "Fighting Fit," a rambunctious, sexually-overtoned gem of a pop song, Rossiter sashayed over to his soundman and caressed his face. (Hey, we're not asking, he's not telling -- sound familiar?)

\\After the beautiful "Why I Was Born," the Rozzer thanked Patsy Cline, saying her ghost was rumored to be in the studio the night Gene recorded it. The rollicking "Be My Light, Be My Guide" closed the main set as Rossiter pretentiously pranced off stage, nearly begging for applause. The band followed suit in the same irking manner, but in an atypically unselfish act of generosity and British pride-swallowing, returned for four encores. The pleading "Speak to Me Someone" and "Sleep Well Tonight" were especially pleasing. And in a style usually reserved for Barbra Streisand, Rossiter sang alone under the spotlight for "Drawn to the Deep End."

\\"For the Dead," Gene's strongest song, left the crowd -- including the high-haired Morrissey look-alikes (yeah, they're *still* out there) and the young girl next to me screaming, "Martin, take me, I'm yours!" between every song -- feeling satisfied in a depressed sort of way. And if Gene wants to continue down their Smiths-paved road, so be it. The Smiths are unique, but Gene comes closer to capturing their hallowed heights of self-pity than any other act to come along since their 1987 demise. Rossiter's songwriting and s