McGrath Having a Smashing Time

Ask any teeny-bopper who the latest pop heartthrob is and they’ll tell you Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, who turned out at the Opium Den in Hollywood on Monday night to catch performances by Plexi--who definitely rocked the house--and Agnes Gooch, who also put on a great show (hey, folks, nice to see some scene support out there).

McGrath, who performed at the Palace in Hollywood Wednesday night with Smash Mouth, says he’s “had the summer of his life,” and by the looks of things, he can count on a memorable fall. . . .

The Viper Room staged its umpteenth unannounced show Monday night (fans were tipped off by a late-afternoon KROQ news flash and last week’s Club Buzz). This time, Live took the West Hollywood club’s stage for a two-hour set, giving its audience an earful of early material. . . .

Fans of the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan might want to check out his nephew, Ustad Badar Ali Khan, who performs tonight at the Hollywood Athletic Club. . . . The Mint has a couple of minty-fresh upcoming shows: The groovy tripsters Alien Fashion Show return Saturday and Oct. 3 (this band’s so cool, it’s playing Anne Rice’s birthday party in New Orleans for the second year in a row). Also, Eric Red brings his eight-piece “circus” of alternative soul to the Pico Boulevard nightclub every Wednesday. The club also features weekly performances by Butterflow. . . . If you haven’t been out to see Tenacious D yet, you can catch the guitar-wielding comedy duo Sunday night, when they play the Viper Room.