Photographer, Post-Gazette The Kinks will be honored by local musicians at 31st Street Pub Friday night.

By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

When people recall the British Invasion, they usually speak of the Beatles, the Stones and the Who, somehow overlooking the Kinks -- which, in some ways, has made them all the more popular today with folks who love an underdog.

		Kinks Konsortium Where: 31st Street Pub, Strip. When: 9:30 p.m. Friday. Admission: $3; 412-391-8334.

The Kinks certainly belong in the same breath as those other bands, but the Davies brothers never seemed to catch the same breaks.

The Kinks never appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, not even once, while the Beatles, together or apart, have graced it more than 30 times. And while those other groups were all actually invading America back in the '60s, the Kinks were stalled at the gate, blocked by the American Federation of Musicians after 1965 for reasons still unknown.

That managed to quell the hype for mid-'60s records like "Something Else by the Kinks" and "Village Green Preservation Society," which were every bit as good as the Beatles' and Stones' records.

Of course, the Kinks have always been their own worst enemies as well, going back to the legendary onstage fights between Ray and Dave. Even today, in their 60s, they can't seem to get their acts together to give the people what they want -- a reunion tour.

As one would expect from an underdog city, the Kinks are well-loved in Pittsburgh, where local musicians will gather Friday night at the 31st Street Pub for a tribute show called Kinks Konsortium. Among those participating will be Amoeba Knievel, The Weird Paul Rock Band, Fangs of the Panda, Styles for Modern Living, Moonlight Motel, Four Roses and The Out of Tuners.

Perhaps one of them will learn "Regatta My Ass," the song Ray made up the last time the band played here, in 1993, and were interrupted by the fireworks and outbreak of boating culture.

We asked several of the players why they love the Kinks and why they chose the songs they did.

Weird Paul:

"I love the Kinks because they have a weird sense of humor that comes out in certain songs -- they were often a little more witty in their lyrics than some of their contemporaries."

"I chose to do 'State of Confusion' because as a teenager, I would see the music video for that song often and it had very memorable images -- Ray Davies cutting himself shaving, etc. I always loved the fact that the Kinks were video pioneers, making one of the earliest music videos, 1966's 'Dead End Street.' I didn't actually choose to do 'Destroyer.' I asked my keyboard player, Ben Blanchard, to pick the other song as he's also a Kinks fan. It turns out to be a pretty good choice for me to sing, as it includes the line, 'Lola looked at me and said, 'Ooh you look so weird!'."

Mark Russell (of Aydin):

"Why I love the Kinks: I think there are lots of reasons: wit, career stamina, the ability to write excellent hooks, great musical chemistry, etc.; but I think I admire them most for recording really good albums. "Arthur" and "The Village Green Preservation Society" are consistently wonderful, both musically and conceptually. When you consider some of the other records the Kinks were competing with at the time (the White Album, "Beggar's Banquet," etc.) it makes these albums seem even more unique and extraordinary. The Kinks always did their own thing; they didn't get caught up in the one-upmanship of their contemporaries. They just concentrated on putting great ideas to music."

"Why I chose the songs I'm doing: I've loved the song 'Apeman' since the first time I heard it. Not only does it have this timeless message about escape from 'civilization,' but it's catchy and fun, too. It's not the best of the Kinks' substantial catalog to play on the accordion, but hopefully my great affection for it will make up for that."

Tommy Amoeba (of Amoeba Knieval)

"It's hard not to identify with the Kinks. Though they're an amazingly rocking band with perhaps the most imaginative frontmen possible, they have long labored in the shadow of other British bands of their generation, and I don't think we need to name names. But I think the Kinks definitely belong in that pantheon alongside the Who, the Beatles and the Stones, in that order. Damn, I said I wouldn't name names! Oh well ..."

"I'm doing 'King Kong' and '(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman' because they rock! They're instantly likable and not over-exposed. But more than that, my choice of songs has more to do with the theatrics I have planned for this particular performance. Come to the show and you'll see what I mean. You will not be disappointed!"