There's a bittersweet dual purpose attached to Loretta's June 6 show at Birdy's: record-release celebration and the rock band's farewell.

The performance will mark the breakup of an act that moved from Terre Haute to Indianapolis in 1999. Originally known as Jihad, the musicians ditched the name following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Brothers Jason Weidner, Damon Weidner and Jeremy Weidner form the core of Loretta, joined by fellow founding member Stan Muller. Jim Shaffer and Matt Akers exited the lineup through the years.

Loretta won a high-profile "Battle of the Bands" competition locally in 2002, and the release of an album titled "The Translation" followed in 2003. The album landed in the Top 75 at CMJ, the national chart of record for independent rock, but the band's dynamic sound -- frequently compared to early U2 and Radiohead -- failed to connect with a mainstream audience.

The Weidner brothers and Muller made the new album "Message Received, Not Understood" on their own. Several songs describe what it's like to be in a rock band flirting with becoming the next big thing.

"There was a certain level of frustration that had built up over time dealing with music-industry types," vocalist Jason Weidner says. "That's prime fodder for songwriting material, for me anyway."

Any and all of the band's fans should make an effort to attend the Birdy's show. Loretta plans to perform 27 songs, and no reunion shows are on the horizon.

On the end of Loretta: "Everybody kind of ran out of time and energy to keep banging our heads against the wall," Jason Weidner says. "It sucks the life out of you to put your heart into something and then have things not work out the way you envisioned them." Muller adds: "We didn't want this to be a just-for-fun band." Damon Weidner adds: "There are mortgages and babies, and age is definitely a factor. I tell you, I hate picking up my amplifier. It's heavy."

On "Message Received, Not Understood": "It was an intentional effort to make this record largely about us and our lives," Jason Weidner says. "If you don't know necessarily what each particular song on this record is about, you'll at least get a feel for that."

On career highlights: "The best thing about being in this band was being able to drive around the country and see the things I'd never seen before," Jeremy Weidner says. "The fact that I was able to do it with my best friends was the best part." Jason Weidner adds: "We played at CBGB's (in New York) one night. We got in the van to drive home to play at the Vogue the next night. At 6 a.m. after that show, we drove across the country to play in L.A. To go coast-to-coast in a matter of days was a phenomenal time for me."

On the future: "Playing music together is just a celebration of what we already have in common," Damon Weidner says. "I love these boys dearly. They're the best of pals that anyone could ever hope to have. Just because we're not playing music anymore doesn't mean we're not going to be buds."

Loretta

When: 9 p.m. Friday June 6.

Where: Birdy's, 2131 E. 71st St.

Admission: $7.

Info: Call (317) 254-8971 or visit www.lorettamusic.net