Concert Review: Fountains of Wayne with Marshall Crenshaw, Paradise Rock Club

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Every attempt to see Fountains of Wayne since I moved to Boston two andhalf years ago had been thwarted, so it was with great relief that Ifinally saw a full set by them last night. It is the rare band whosesongs make one smile so much that their cheeks hurt.

The band previewed songs from their upcoming album, but only a few.Most memorable was "A Road Song," in which they sing about the clichesof a road song while mining new territory in that subgenre, includingthe lyrics, "I guess I'm not Steve Perry." And for that, the fans werevery thankful.

Without a specific album to promote, they drew from their entirecatalog. The set selection included no surprises, as much as I hope invain for "Little Red Light." They brought a handful of audience membersonto the stage for a percussion addition to "Hey, Julie." They exploredtheirroster of songs about transportation from taxis to a lavender Lexus.They worked songs by Billy Joel and Blue Öyster Cult into theextended bridge for "Radiation Vibe." But mainly they did what they didbest, wielding perfect power pop with sing-along hooks and sharplydetailed lyrics. Their coterie of loyal fans recognized that "Stacy'sMom" is just the tip of the iceberg of their seemingly endless depthsof should-be hits.

Marshall Crenshaw's voice has weathered since his '80s heyday, but hissongs haven't aged at all. As he poured out semi-hit after semi-hit,from "Cynical Girl" to "Whenever You're on My Mind" to "There She GoesAgain," it was an immediate reminder why he made such a splash andearned critical plaudits when he came onto the scene. Of course heplayed, "Some Day, Some Way," but I had forgotten how much other greatmaterial he had to draw from, so much so that he skipped the songs Ispecifically remembered beforehand, "Mary Anne" and "I'm Sorry (But SoIs Brenda Lee)." His new material was in the same vein. Although he isnothing but sincere, without a trace of Fountains ofWayne's snarkiness humor, his singer/songwriter power pop wasa well-suited pairing with the headliners.