Pop Music Review : Dada Mixes a Tonic Without an Attitude

Although Dada earned a fair number of fans with the radio success of its 1992 pop novelty “Dizz Knee Land,” the strength of this Los Angeles-based trio lies not in goofy tunefulness but in ace musicianship.

At the Roxy on Thursday, the band used its instrumental prowess to pump some high-adrenaline life into darkly witty material, and the result was an evening of often exceptional music-making.

With cool aplomb, guitarist-vocalist Michael Gurley led the band through songs drawn from their two albums. Dada’s affecting sense of song craft was well-showcased on new tunes “Feel Me Don’t You” and “Scum,” and on the older rave-up “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.”

Gurley’s fingers are capable of guitar heroics, but his skillful leads always sing rather than scream. Bassist Joie Calio plucked at his instrument in frenzied fashion and belted out vocals with emotive intensity. He sometimes over-sang, but he and Gurley can blend their voices into gliding harmony lines that enhanced nearly every song.

With shaved head and wire-rim spectacles, drummer Phil Leavitt wielded distinctive powerhouse beats like a natural born killer. Robbie Allen of the L.A. band Rob Rule joined in at this gig as a second guitarist.

The band hasn’t come up with a crowd-pleaser equal to “Dizz Knee Land,” which it relied on as an emphatic set closer. But Dada’s mix of smart pop hooks, inspired playing and good-natured stage presence offers a refreshing tonic to those tired of attitude and Angst from their headliners.

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