Zebrahead Keeps High Spirits in Play

Zebrahead quickly ignited its blend of punk-pop and rap and never wavered on Fridayat the El Rey Theatre, sending the dance floor bouncing for 90 minutes. The Southern California quintet understands how to keep a crowd engaged, fueled by nonstop energy and an endless stream of dumb jokes from singer-guitarist Justin Mauriello.

Even as the music itself rarely offered any distinctive melodies or personality, the band was somehow smooth and confident enough to overcome that limitation. Like a new generation of Rat Pack showmen, Zebrahead demonstrated that for one night at least, it was the singers and not the songs that mattered.

For support act Wheatus, the opposite was true. The Long Island quartet’s performance was tight, but somehow lacking in the sharpness of melody and snotty punk-pop charm of the band’s debut album, “Wheatus.” Too often at the El Rey, what was snappy and fun on record came off as flat and mundane live.

That feeling improved during the band’s best songs, including the current modern rock hit “Teenage Dirtbag.” Multi-instrumentalist Phil A. Jimenez furiously pounded the hand drums, or squeezed an accordion or played keyboards, endlessly jumping in place. But the band will still need a livelier connection to fans if it is to master live performance like the surprising Zebrahead.