Duran Duran Fills the House With Fans and Enthusiasm

They may not be the only ‘80s rock superstars still active, but Duran Duran’s performance Monday at the House of Blues--the first of six nights there--proved they’re among the most enthusiastic. The former new wave pinups have run into critical ridicule, lineup changes and a few lackluster albums over the years, but Duran Duran hasn’t lost the ability to compose and perform infectious, well-crafted pop anthems.

With a sold-out crowd full of all-grown-up, mostly female, former “Duranees” anxiously awaiting the chance to relive sex-charged favorites such as “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rio,” it would have been easy for the band to simply rehash hits, especially with the remaining original members--singer Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes--still looking eerily the same as they did when they were plastered on every young girl’s bedroom wall.

LeBon’s distinctively whinny croons are just as flowing and ardent as they were when he was a teen idol, and the group delivered lots of the hits. But the current lineup, which includes guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, also did a consummate job of ‘90s hits--”Ordinary World” and their irreverent cover of Grandmaster & Melle Mel’s “White Lines”--as well as reflective new cuts from their latest album, “Pop Trash,” complete with a campy costume change and some wacky, even weird stage moves.

It’s this sense of humor that’s always made the band irresistible for its audience. But the group’s sensuous, synth-driven sound has also made the journey from the ‘80s remarkably well.

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* Duran Duran, through Saturday at the House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 9 p.m. $60. (323) 848-5100.