A Geared-Up Agent Orange Maintains Its Glow of Vitality

Agent Orange, one of several influential punk bands to emerge from the Orange County scene in the early ‘80s, is on the comeback trail.

Having just self-released its excellent, prophetically titled “Virtually Indestructible”--its first collection of new material in 10 years--the trio is looking to recapture the intensity and relevance that made 1981’s “Living in Darkness” such a compelling debut.

After witnessing the band’s explosive 70 minutes of self-affirming rock ‘n’ roll Friday night at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, there was no doubt the band can still rock with gusto. Lead guitarist-vocalist Mike Palm and bassist Sam Bolle frequently darted back and forth across the stage while flashing huge grins. At one point, Bolle quipped: “Can somebody move this pole? It’s in my way.”

Mixing old nuggets with a generous helping of new selections, the career-spanning set raced predominantly in one gear--overdrive. The band’s earlier, harder-edged rockers such as “Too Young to Die” and “No Such Thing” have aged well and were ferociously played as Palm unleashed a torrent of sharp, rapid-fire licks while Bolle and touring drummer Dusty Watson laid down a solid rhythmic foundation.

One of Agent Orange’s strengths is its insightful songwriting, with Palm exploring themes not only of self-doubt, isolation and emotional turmoil, but also of personal resiliency. For the most part live, these lyrical ideas were lost in a foggy instrumental crunch, leaving numerous songs to rely on emotional rather than cerebral connections.

But Palm also understands the value of a well-paced, diverse performance. He smartly let the fans catch their breath with just enough shifts in mood and tempo that, when needed, allowed his penetrating lyrics to be absorbed. For example, the group downshifted slightly so our minds could digest the painful heartbreak that engulfs the protagonist in “Tearing Me Apart.”

The group’s versatility also surfaced in the form of a pair of surf rock instrumentals, including the dazzling, good-time vibes of “Miserlou” and wicked cover songs ranging from Johnny River’s “Secret Agent Man” to a revved-up, punkified version of the Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love.”

Of the group’s new songs, “This Is All I Need” and “Make Up Your Mind and Do What You Want to Do” proved to be the strongest both musically and thematically. With a smiling Palm playing fast and furious lead guitar, the former was a celebration of contentment and inner resolve. In contrast, the latter tune eloquently conveyed the perils of indecisiveness and procrastination, with Palm pleading for some sort of impending action.

The only remaining original member, leader Palm seemed genuinely excited about returning to Orange County after incessant touring here and abroad. Unlike the aloof, all-too-serious stance projected by many so-called punk purists, he projects a gracious, endearing personality that offered sweet music to this reviewer’s ears. And to his credit, playing before a disappointingly half-empty house didn’t diminish his enthusiasm in the least.

Second-billed Purple Bosco brought a lot of musical styles to the table during its ambitious 40-minute set. Yet in playing a mishmash of funk, punk, metal and rock, the Huntington Beach trio never wove a common thread to even marginally tie the scattered elements together. And only their contagious, anthem-like “Hey!” packed enough of a wallop to overshadow their otherwise thin material and the tiresome, slurred vocals of Dale Peterson.

The David Turbow-led Supernovice--after a faceless but thankfully brief set of instrumental guitar-rock by openers HFO’s--unveiled several unexpected twists in its frustrating eight-song presentation. In what has turned into an unfortunate trend, it was learned that Turbow replaced both his prior drummer and bassist within the last month. (He also previously revamped Supernovice’s lineup between the releases of the Garden Grove band’s last two CDs.)

Judging from this show, new bassist Pasquale Talarico and drummer Stefan Veselko have joined a noisy rock band. The newly formed trio played a couple of songs, namely the edgy “Clearing Out” and set-closing “Impervious,” true to their original form. But more characteristic was a thick, thrashing reworking of songs that on record--especially their wonderful new “Inescapable”--soared because of their folksy, expansive, Meat Puppets-like trippiness.

Stripped of their inherent subtleties, such pop-leaning gems as “What Else Is New?,” “Sly Guy!” and the once-jangly “Best Wishes” displayed about as much charm as Metallica playing Simon and Garfunkel tunes without their tongue firmly planted in cheek.