I just caught some of the first of two Music Fests by Turkish rock band Duman. The Memphis in May honored country’s musical representative attracted a smallish but fast-growing crowd as the chilly evening began, drawing appreciative cheers from the throng that included at least a couple dozen people singing along to the Turkish-language lyrics.

A Mediterranean melancholy pervades many of Duman’s tunes, and some of the dueling guitar lines have a distinct Middle Eastern flavor. But, reflecting Turkey’s position as a bridge between East and West, they also are heavily influenced by ’90s American alt-rock bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Front man Kaan Tangöze is a brooding yet charismatic figure along the lines of Bono, but his dynamic vocal style has the range of Jeff Buckley or Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson.

If you missed Duman today, you can catch them at 4 Sunday on the Sam’s Town Stage, warming up for Jerry Lee Lewis.