POP MUSIC REVIEW : Soul Asylum, Lemonheads Paired at Palace

Two of America’s up-and-coming purveyors of regular-guy garage-rock teamed up at the Palace Tuesday, where Soul Asylum and the Lemonheads faced off in a display of tour-till-you-drop music nurtured on blood, sweat and beers.

Equal parts hope, cynicism and humor, Minneapolis’ Soul Asylum’s songs ran the gamut from the aggressive, hook-filled “Somebody to Shove” to the spare, midtempo “Nice Guys Don’t Get Paid.” But the performance proved that the secret weapon in the quartet’s Replacements-like jangly rock is frontman Dave Pirner, a powerful, engaging presence who led his band on a loose, high-energy journey. Highlights included a version of “To Sir, With Love” with guest singer Victoria Williams and the strident rave-up “Get On Out.”

The second-billed Lemonheads are less aggressive, but equally compelling. Breezing through a too-short set that concluded with a raucous rendition of “Mrs. Robinson,” the Boston trio hit the mark with its pure, earnest, approach. The infectious “Alison’s Starting to Happen” and the yearning quality of “It’s a Shame About Ray,” the title track of its latest album, mark leader Evan Dando as quirky but accessible wordsmith.

After several years of cutting their teeth in the “underground,” both groups are now clearly well-placed for more mainstream success in today’s wide-open post-Nirvana climate.