Phantom Planet
The Guest
On Sale Now
For $10.48

If the number of ticketless fans lining 14th Street and begging passersby were any indication, this Monday night show was a hot ticket. Those fortunate enough to get inside had the chance to witness virtually a power pop battle of the bands between veteran Knoxville band Superdrag and upstart Californians Phantom Planet. But if a winner were declared, the nod would have to go to experience.

Superdrag came out rocking with the first three tracks from their new album Last Call for Vitriol before reaching back to 1998’s Head Trip in Every Key for a stellar take on “Do the Vampire.” Singer/guitarist John Davis tried to get an audience sing-along going on “Keep It Close To Me” from 2000’s In the Valley of Dying Stars but the crowd couldn’t quite commit to it. He fared much better when he tried the same thing on the more familiar “Sucked Out” from 1996’s Regretfully Yours later in the show. “Who sucked out the feeling,” he sings on this vocal cord shredder. Davis offered up some nice slide guitar on “I’m Expanding My Mind.” Bassist Sam Powers took over lead vocals on several tunes including excellent runs through “Stu” and “Remain Yer Strange.” And Superdrag’s newest member, former V-Roys guitarist Mic Harrison also got the spotlight for one song. All in all, a tight one-hour set of good tunes turned up loud and played with panache and energy.

It proved a tough act to follow, although Phantom Planet gave it their best shot and they certainly had the crowd on their side. Their recent album The Guest is a gem of a record full of bright, professional modern pop songs. Live, Phantom Planet is a sloppier animal, which isn’t always a bad thing. That’s despite, and perhaps in some ways due to, the band’s three-guitar lineup. Unless you’re Lynyrd Skynyrd or 38 Special or something, I’d say three guitars are usually overkill. The Planet was best when they stuck to ultra-melodic numbers like the MTV hits “Lonely Day” and “California.”

Singer/guitarist Alex Greenwald bears an uncanny resemblance to That 70s Show star Ashton Kutcher. I think I even heard somebody in the audience ask “Dude, where’s my car.” Greenwald didn’t seem to get the joke. His between song banter mostly consisted of some variation on a four-letter word beginning with “f.” A three-song encore found Greenwald crowd surfing about half way back into the club before hanging from the rafters to sing one song. But although Greenwald is the focal point, drummer/actor Jason Schwartzman also commands a great deal of attention. That was never more apparent than on the band’s homage to Elvis Costello & the Attractions, “Nobody’s Fault,” and a cover of Elvis’ own “Pump It Up” during the encore. The set also included a new song that may be called “The Happening,” the Radiohead-like “In Our Darkest Hour” and a nice version of The Guest’s “Anthem.” “Yeah this whole world needs an anthem / And I’m hoping everyone will sing along,” Greenwald sings. And as Phantom Planet’s too brief set came to a close, more than a few folks were.

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