POP REVIEW : Uninspiring Performance by T.S.O.L.

LONG BEACH--Professional, rockin’, politically correct, exuberant and loud: the 1991 version of T.S.O.L. is many things, except special .

Though the T.S.O.L. name--which stands for True Sounds of Liberty--goes back to the early Orange County punk scene, there are no members of the band’s original lineup remaining (Some of those now have an outfit called L.O.S.T.).

The group also has long since abandoned its punk stance, as well it should have since three-chords-and-an-attitude eventually wears thin. But where a few bands such as Social Distortion and Firehose have used their “post-punk” transition as a chance to further explore and define a personal sound, a great many others instead have bought into the musical mainstream, playing Timid Sounds of Lobotomy.

While T.S.O.L. still exhibits more spark and smarts than most KNAC bands, the quartet’s show at Bogart’s Saturday offered little to truly set it apart from the crowded tangle of hair extensions that is the L.A. hard rock/metal scene. And when three minutes of the 1977 Cheap Trick had more personality and power than an hour of the 1991 T.S.O.L., one has to wonder: Why bother?

With the departure of guitarist Ron Emory a couple of years back, T.S.O.L. lost its strongest link to its past. Emory put a lot of roots into his playing and feeling into his songwriting, both of which now seem in short supply. Current guitarist Scotty Phillips’ soloing was short on depth or surprise, with him and bassist Dave Mello appearing to put as much effort into their hair-tossing stage moves.

With longtime member Mitch Dean delivering a solidly leaden drumbeat, it fell to singer Joe Wood to provide most of the action. Wood--sporting a fledgling goatee that made him look a bit like a cross between Sal Mineo and Satan--moved well, and his singing has that hard rock “shrill factor” down. While the band’s songs address a number of societal concerns--from police states to picking up girls--the lyrics were all but unintelligible in the mix Saturday.

One song which did stand out was the 1984 “Flowers by the Door,” with Wood’s wrenching vocals actually turning an emotional bolt, and guitarist Phillips delivering an atmospheric Iron Butterfly-like solo. More often, songs like the similar vintage “Red Shadows” and “Candy” from the current “Strange Love” album seemed bereft of imagination, which also has to be said of the band’s choice of the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” as an encore tune. With all the hoopla over the Oliver Stone film, there were likely thousands of bar bands across the nation playing that song, and doing at least as well.

About the only thing remaining from the T.S.O.L.’s punk roots is the portion of their audience which persists in slam dancing throughout their show, heedless of those around them who might perhaps prefer not to have large, sweaty, shirtless dudes careening into them with a wave-like regularity. If slamming has gone on this long, you’ve got to wonder if these guys will still be at it in their golden years, bashing around the convalescent home rec rooms with their walkers and wheelchairs.

While T.S.O.L. drew a packed house, there also was a crowd in Bogart’s Bohemian Lounge witnessing the debut of the Shatners. The Long Beach quintet proved worthy of the attention. Despite, or maybe because of, the group’s out-of-tune guitars and sub-collegiate lyrics, they were a load of infectious, danceable fun. While definitely a garage band, their youthful, sticky abandon made one suspect that it may be the same garage that houses the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and Good Humor trucks.