Being of Hispanic heritage, I found it rather unusual for a British band to be named “Gomez.” Was there a hidden meaning of some sort behind it? Is one of the band members secretly not British? Or did I not hear my editor correctly when he gave me the name of the band?

When I finally brought myself to ask guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Tom Gray about it, he replied in an amused, British-accented voice: “By fluke the band was named after a friend and not much else.”

Gomez, in its present incarnation since 1996, consists of Tom Gray, Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitar), Paul Blackburn (bass, guitar), Ian Ball (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Olly Peacock (drums, percussion) and de facto member Dajon Everett (percussion, keyboards).

The band, which first toured the United States in 1998 as the opening act for Eagle Eye Cherry, will be performing at Chicago’s Vic Theatre, 3145 North Sheffield, on Friday.

Unlike today’s more well-known UK bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Coldplay, Gomez’s music often is described as a fusion of rock, blues, funk, electronic and even a hint of country.

When asked to describe Gomez’s genre of music in his own words, Gray laughed and said he had given up trying long ago.

“If anything, we’re a genuine alternative,” he said. “We try to avoid clich