Was (Not Was) irony is still fresh

For all the studio technology that contributed to the distinctive records of Was (Not Was) in the 1980s, the Detroit group was founded on the principles of a classic live band whose aim is to keep the dance floor in motion.

Little has changed in its return after a 15-year hiatus. At the House of Blues in West Hollywood on Tuesday, Was (Not Was) shook off the cobwebs in a set packed with big, bold hooks and irresistible beats. There’s enough irony and literary overlay in there to fuel a graduate seminar, but the primary image the six musicians projected was a down-to-earth combo playing with fire and finesse.

In its original decade-plus run, Was (Not Was) had a few quirky hits (“Walk the Dinosaur,” “Spy in the House of Love”) and built a cult following with its experimental edges and its restless disregard for the borders between funk, R&B;, jazz, rock and numerous other genres.

Principals Don Was (on bass) and David Was (reeds and vocals) gave a taste of both sides Tuesday. Sweet Pea Atkinson, a volcanic, good-humored soul singer, was the main focal point, but David chipped in with some of his offbeat touches -- the “Dad, I’m in Jail” rant, and the Hunter S. Thompson-like spoken scenarios in “I Feel Better Than James Brown.”

They didn’t offer enough from their upcoming album to indicate where they might be going, but the old material has stood the test of time. In particular, the insidiously catchy but lyrically disquieting “I Blew Up the United States,” about a man on a mission and the voices in his head, takes on a new resonance in the wake of Oklahoma City and Sept. 11.

While the subversive wit of Was (Not Was) is more welcome than ever, it seemed no more valuable Tuesday than the message of the beat. At one point during “Wheel Me Out,” everything except David McMurray’s saxophone became a rhythm instrument, interlocking in a moment of minimalist purity that felt at least as good as James Brown.