POP MUSIC REVIEW : Billy Squier’s Treat at Greek

Billy Squier came up with a great guise for his Halloween concert at the Greek Theatre: a rockin’ Rip Van Winkle. Though he hasn’t slumbered 20 years, Squier’s time away--three years between records, five since his last tour--has been plenty for his pro forma arena rock to be rendered completely obsolete.

Squier’s treat for taking the trouble of his comeback trick? His new album, “Hear & Now,” has barely clung to the bottom of the Top 200 in its 16 weeks of release, and the Greek was only half full on Tuesday. OK, back when Mellencamp was still Cougar such Squier songs as “The Stroke” and “Rock Me Tonight” had their place, and his 1982 Top Tenner “Everybody Wants You” is built on a cool riff that’s still hard to shake. But that was the lone highlight of Tuesday’s set, which was otherwise notable only for its relatively frill-free proficiency and huge display of ego. (A giant portrait of yourself as a backdrop, Billy? C’mon!)

Opening act King’s X is a rarer breed: a mainstream hard-rock band that has actually inspired positive intellectual discussion, particularly in Christian circles. Though its brief set showed a progressive-metal band still at a developmental stage, with a tendency to plod instead of rock, the Houston trio is worth keeping an eye on, especially if its music can one day match the fairly poetic way its lyrics address their questions about and faith in God.

On the other hand, the very existence of second-billed Blue Murder--composed of several hoary hard-rock veterans and even hoarier hard-rock cliches--could be used as evidence that there is no God.