MUSIC / SUN-60 : Sweetheart Deal : A guy and girl met on a plane, and now they’re a signed pop-rock duo. They’ll be opening at the Anaconda on Sunday.

Hey, baby, what’s your sign? Say, didn’t we go to different schools together? Ahem, do you breed? Buy me a drink, gorgeous? Say, you look just like my ex, only alive.

Pickup lines--most of them are as flat as Elvis’ 1992 EKG. But you have to say something if you’re on a mission to meet someone.

When David Russo met his future partner in Sun-60, Joan Jones, his technique came right out of “Carrie.”

In any case, guys, don’t try this one at your friendly neighborhood rock ‘n’ roll club.

“I was just out of college from UCLA, and I was up in Alaska fishing with some friends, and on the flight back, I brought some frozen moose meat,” Russo said. “Anyway, it was in the compartment above us and it defrosted, and blood started dripping onto Joan’s forehead. It was a great icebreaker.”

After they cleaned up the mess that was once Bullwinkle’s cousin, the duo began hanging out and writing songs.

They had plenty in common--both were Bruins and native Californians.

Russo, who sings and plays keyboards and guitar, graduated from Calabasas High.

Jones went to Hollywood High before UCLA.

By now, they have been around so long, they used to be somebody else.

“We were on tour when we were a different band, Far Cry,” Russo said. “All of a sudden, some other band with the same name came out of the woodwork and wanted to sue us. We didn’t have the money for a lawyer, so we changed our name. Sun-60 just sort of popped into my head. I think it implies a certain mood.”

Once they knew who they were, there was nothing left to do but get signed, and so it came to pass.

The band’s self-titled debut album came out about three months ago on Epic.

Getting noticed and then signed when you are part of the competitive L. A. scene is quit a feat.

If your uncle doesn’t work for Warner Bros., then what?

“We actually flourished in the L. A. scene,” Russo said. “There’s room for everything. Across the country, people think L. A.’s just this big metal scene, but it’s not. We play at a lot of underground clubs, but it’s hard because there’s so much competition. You have to create your own scene. We played all the time--with a band, as a duo, but all the time. We were constantly reworking and changing our show; it was a different show every night. All of a sudden, the record company guys started coming around.”

Sun-60 is on the road opening for Mercury recording acts, Material Issue and The Veldt.

It’s a happening show for pop rock aficionados.

“The last tour was harder. We had six people in a van for three months,” Russo said. “This is our first tour with a tour bus. It’s great playing, but the worst is all the driving, a lot of driving. When you get somewhere, there’s not a lot of time to explore, but sometimes, you get an afternoon. We love being the opening act because it’s a really cool challenge when the audience doesn’t know you, then you win them over. It’s a challenge for us to do better.”

The best thing about Sun-60 is Jones’ voice.

Just ask Russo.

“She’s a natural. She’s got it. She was born with a gift. It’s something you can’t learn. We’ve had this particular band for about 2 1/2 years, and we make really good music. Joan and I write all the stuff. Our songs are about our lives, about real stuff, things that are meaningful to us. Our shows are an exhilarating, positive experience.”

When she’s not singing, Jones plays a trumpet, a pocket trumpet. Now from studying World War II, we remember that German battleship, the Graf Spee.

It was a pocket battleship, but it didn’t fit in anybody’s pocket.

Will a pocket trumpet? Nope.

“It’s really a regular trumpet, just wrapped differently,” Russo said. “Pocket trumpets were originally designed for marching bands. We don’t march, we just sing.”

* WHERE AND WHEN

Material Issue, The Veldt, Sun-60, The Anaconda Theater, 935 Embarcadero del Norte, Isla Vista, 8 p.m. Sunday--all this for $6.94. For more information, call 685-3112.