Verve Pipe Spews Its Potent Mix in San Juan Capistrano

Spring forward and fall back.

That’s the modus operandi of the Verve Pipe, an up-and-coming alterna-pop band out of East Lansing, Mich. In combining its fondness for ‘60s British pop, ‘70s “progressive” rock and modern American rock ‘n’ roll, the quintet has come up with a distinctive hybrid that is finding acceptance.

With its single, “Photograph,” in regular rotation on such modern rock stations as KROQ-FM, the band has sold nearly 70,000 copies of its major label debut album “Villains” (RCA) in just three months and recently entered the Top 10 on the Alternative Rock Chart.

Guitarist A.J. Dunning--who cites such diverse influences as George Harrison, Wes Montgomery and Frank Zappa--and his mates launched a riveting hourlong set at the Coach House on Tuesday night with a string of four songs from “Villains,” Pearl Jam-style rockers with layers of thick, crunching guitar riffs from Dunning and singer-guitarist Brian Vander Ark.

Vander Ark scored further points by screaming out his tortured lyrics. Then the group--which also includes Doug Corella on keyboards, Donny Brown on drums and Brian’s brother Brad Vander Ark on bass--started adding both variety and lyrical depth to the mix with thought-provoking narratives and melody-driven pop songs.

Brian Vander Ark sang with quiet desperation as he examined self-destructive impulses via the chilling, slower-paced “Penny Is Poison (but I Don’t Mind).” Then came “Barely (If at All),” a catchy, falsetto-flavored number--followed by the hauntingly stark “The Freshmen,” a mesmerizing tale of drugs, guilt and paranoia.

The band closed with a cover of the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” that was a potent mix of grunge and blissful pop psychedelia, vibrant and unique as the band somehow blended ringing guitars, feedback, soaring melodies and catchy choruses.

Psychic Rain, a quartet from La Mirada, opened with 40 minutes of uptempo, spirited pop songs from its forthcoming “World Ironic” CD. The highlight was Brian Christopher Steward’s revved-up guitar soloing during “Without a Sound.”

The group’s songwriting holds promise but would shine brighter if the tempo occasionally was shifted into a slower gear, particularly during such reflective numbers as “Wrong” and the AIDS-themed “Hindsight.”

* The Verve Pipe performs June 15 with KISS, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everclear, Garbage, the Fugees, No Doubt, Lush, Korn, Goldfinger and 311 at the KROQ Weenie Roast, Irvine Meadows, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. Sold out. (714) 855-8096.