Jolts and Lulls by Luscious Jackson

As an all-woman underground team reshuffling new wave, hip-hop and disco, Luscious Jackson was a fine idea--a smart and streetwise jolt of flavor. At the Palace on Thursday, the New York band underscored both its steamy, eclectic novelty and the weaknesses that sometimes transformed the great idea into dull monotony.

Still, frontwomen Jill Cunniff and Gabby Glaser--backed by vinyl-slinging deejay Alex Young and a talented percussionist--overcame lags with surprises. On “Bam Bam,” Cunniff encouraged the audience to yell, “Go,” and the interactive energy brought the music to a peak. A lilting French song, a twangy country-tinged tune and a punchy punk love ditty spiked the show with a freshness that was lacking in soporific grooves such as “Soothe Yourself,” from the band’s 1996 album, “Fever In Fever Out.”

The material from that record never touched the cool whimsy and feminist vibe of older songs such as “Energy Sucker,” with its proud and defiant lyrics: “Hey, energy sucker / I’m a goddess, not your mother.” Keyboardist Vivian Trimble managed to eke out seductive noodles, but drummer Kate Schellenbach emerged as the member who could stretch a simple, slow-coasting episode into one of powerful complexity. Challenged by the complicated, frothy sound of deejay samples, bongo drums and dueling guitars, Schellenbach’s high style was usually overshadowed.

The crowd cooled its heels during the opening set of the Eels as singer and guitarist E goofed on the audience, played a piano with his feet and dug into squeaky guitar feedback during a jocular, low-key show. Though playful, the band from Echo Park displayed the kind of sumptuous musicality that Luscious Jackson occasionally lacked.