POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Another Wave From Adam Ant

The past is both a blessing and a curse for Adam Ant. It’s what has kept his name afloat during the lean hitless years, while trapping him in that long-faded era of ‘80s new wave.

So it was with a mixture of old and new that Ant appeared at the Pantages Theatre on Friday, introduced by no less than KROQ’s Richard (Rock of the ‘80s) Blade. Ant emerged posing in dramatic profile, but only after several minutes of darkness and recorded industrial rave music, signaling the new era in which he hopes to place himself.

Today it’s the faceless guise of a slick romantic that Ant is pursuing with his just-released “Wonderful” album, which has already earned the British-born popster some airplay. The singer’s strength was always as a quirky singles artist, beginning with “Antmusic” in 1980, when his music bridged a gap between pop-punk and the goofiest of new wave.

Unfortunately, Ant’s 90-minute set Friday was too long to limit the night to those often charming hits and near-misses (though he inexplicably omitted the catchy “Goody Two Shoes”). One bland mid-tempo romance tune followed another.

But with a band that included guitarist and longtime Antman Marco Pirroni, Ant was an energetic presence at the Pantages, dancing, jumping and posing with great seriousness. Not bad this many years after his local debut in 1981, but still a bit short of wonderful.