The seeds of Veruca Salt were sewn on New Year’s Eve 1992, when Louis Post and Nina Gordon met through a mutual friend (actress Lili Taylor). The two realized they were potential musical soul mates and decided to form a band.

Gordon said that since that first introduction, they have had a special connection that has greatly contributed to their success.

What makes us close musically is that we are really close friends, and we share our lives, she said. We identify very strongly with each others’ voices and songs.

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Once they became friends, Gordon and Post got together and played acoustically and wrote songs. But they realized they still needed a drummer and a bass player to round out their desired rock n’ roll sound. So, they put a classified advertisement in a Chicago newspaper. The advertisement gained them bassist Steve Lack, but they still lacked a drummer. Gordon’s older brother, Jim, agreed to take on the skins, but Gordon said Jim did not intend to make a career with the band.

He joined on a whim, but he wasn’t a drummer, she said.

In January 1994 Veruca Salt headed into Brad Wood’s Ideful Studio to record their debut American Thighs, which ultimately was picked up by Geffen Records. Gordon said the band’s expectations were not terribly high upon the completion of their first album.

We made the record thinking a couple people would hear it, she said. I was like, I hope my mom likes it. I hope my boyfriend likes it.’

But in June 1994, the band’s first single from the album, Seether, (an angst-filled Gen-X pleaser) hit the airwaves and received major radio play across the country until it became a virtual anthem for chicks with attitudes.

Over the following year and a half, Veruca Salt toured with such power acts as Hole, PJ Harvey, Hazel and the girlie-punk favorite Muffs. While Gordon enjoys playing with great bands, she said the touring is exhausting.

Sometimes I definitely feel like quitting and leaving the road and going home, she said. It’s not really a lifestyle I appreciate. It can be really exciting and satisfying, but I’m sort of a homebody. I like to sleep late, and wake up and play guitar.

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After this touring stint, the band retreated to the Windy City where they recorded a four-song EP, Blow it Out Your Ass It’s Veruca Salt, utilizing legendary recording engineer Steve Albini.

At this point the band built a new home at the Geffen-affiliated Outpost Recordings and recruited Bob Rock to aid in the production of their hard-cutting sophomore attempt, Eight Arms to Hold You, released in February. With the release of this album, Gordon said the band was much more confident than with American Thighs.

We put out a record we were really proud of, she said. We were like, Whatever anybody says, we love this record.’

After a long and weary search for a suitable replacement, Veruca Salt found its new man in the carnation of Stacy Jones, formerly of Bostonian easy-rockers Letters to Cleo. Stacy is now touring with the band and will be the man providing the beat for the show at the Dragon. Gordon said Jones has a lot of expertise to offer the band’s music.

He’s great, mainly because he adores playing the drums, she said. That’s all he wants to do.

Carbondale rock fans are extremely fortunate to have this opportunity, so don’t miss it!

Opening the show at 10 p.m. will be area super-charged rockers Figdish and Triple Fast Action. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show. But a Copper Dragon (700 E. Grand Ave.) spokesman said tickets are selling fast and likely will not be available by Thursday.