Some critics, and fans, will never give Gavin Rossdale a fair hearing, feeling his first successful band, Bush, was, in that memorable 1996 Rolling Stone headline, “Nirvanawannabes.” Then, of course, he totally subverts the grunge stereotype by being something of a pretty boy, not to mention being happily married (since 2002) to No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani.

But if you just wandered into the Paradise off Commonwealth Avenue on Friday night, not knowing who was onstage, you’d have been blown away by one superbly incendiary rock show. Rossdale’s 95-minute set focused on his 2008 solo album, “WanderLust,” but also included plenty of Bush nuggets, and even a nod to his work with Institute, his first post-Bush project. Friday was the third date in this 31-city national tour, and while 500 fans were going bonkers all night, it was not sold out.

Rossdale, 43, a former semi-pro soccer player in his native England, and now still a dedicated tennis maven, produced one of the most kinetic performances we’ve seen in years, cavorting and bouncing across the stage like a man possessed, yet frequently establishing contact with front-row fans. By the end of the night the singer was so drenched in perspiration, his guitar was soaking wet.

Rossdale has acknowledged being influenced by Nirvana, and noted that he loves them because they were in turn influenced by The Pixies, a band he also admires. But in recent years, Rossdale has gone beyond grunge, adding techno rhythms and keyboard accents to his work. “WanderLust” was one of last year’s best CDs, skillfully utilizing that punk/metal mix that characterized grunge, yet infusing it with modern life via sizzling rhythms and the contrast of soaring keyboards. Rossdale’s raspy but sincere vocals still hit the mark, but his lyrics have become more linear, and thankfully less obscure. If the latest songs go a bit too much for the big-payoff choruses, it still makes for infectiously riveting rock.

Rossdale and his backing quartet opened with “Machinehead,” a blistering bit of grunginess from Bush’s 1994 debut, “Sixteen Stone” that had the singer pogoing from one end of the stage to the other. “Frontline,” from the last CD, was an abrupt blast into the present tense, its edgy guitars and sweeping synth lines offset by Josh Freese’s hammering drums, as Rossdale sang the chorus “don’t wait for love…”

The drums are an integral part of the new sound, creating a inescapable pulse in your head. Freese depends heavily on his snare, which is tuned high and without reverb or rattle, so that it sounds like he’s hitting a wood block. Freese is a monster drummer, and Friday’s show confirmed his importance to Rossdale’s sound. But it also would have been good to have the guitars a bit higher in the mix.

“Boombox” was a bit of a surprise, coming from that 2004-06 Institute period, with a more raw, metal sound.

“Can’t Stop the World,” from the last CD, might be the signature song of that album, a plaintive ballad that ramps up to pounding rock, as Rossdale vocally delivers an emotional tour de force. But “The Skin I’m In” might be almost as memorable, an easy-rolling ballad with Freese’s drumbeat giving it immediacy, and Rossdale belting out his best vocal.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” was the lone cover song, performed with just guitarist Chris Traynor and Rossdale in acoustic setting, and it was a wonderful change of pace. Rossdale sang most of the tune while holding the hand of a woman in the front row, finishing with a heartwarming vocal sustain. That quiet moment was followed immediately by the thunderous “Everything Zen” from that multi-platinum Bush debut album.

A pulsating, agreeably ramshackle “People That We Love” closed the regular set, but Rossdale returned with four encore songs. “When Animals Attack” delivered metal thunder with syncopated rhythms, while the ballad “Love Remains the Same” prompted such an outbreak of embracing couples it seemed like a love-in. Rossdale did a solo “Glycerine” – another ‘94 Bush relic – with just his electric guitar and most of the crowd as accompaniment. The night ended with a pulverizing “Comedown,” with the singer zipping about the stage like a water bug.

Rossdale has found a compelling and invigorating post-grunge formula. If memory serves, grunge was never this much fun.

(via The Patriot Ledger)