Everclear’s Dark Afterglow Flickers Bright

The songs of Everclear’s Art Alexakis focus on the recurring theme he introduced in “Summerland,” a tune about an idyllic vacation-land with a sinister, destructive underbelly. Alexakis’ shimmery descriptions of the place usually sound like propaganda for early Los Angeles.

So it was interesting to see how Alexakis would react to playing for a hometown crowd on Tuesday at the El Rey Theatre, where his band delivered a set in support of its latest release, “So Much for the Afterglow.” Alexakis, who now lives in Portland but battled a rocky childhood and teenage drug addiction here, nevertheless seemed to bask in the aftereffects of Everclear’s 1995 hit album, “Sparkle and Fade.”

Overall, the singer-guitarist was armed with more interesting tunes. “So Much for the Afterglow,” despite its defeated-sounding title, playfully flirts with street-busker soul, punk, Sonic Youth-like skronk-rock and singer-songwriter flourishes a la Elvis Costello.

Despite the more interesting possibilities the songs presented, Everclear chose to deliver a straight-ahead rock show, occasionally dipping into ‘60s-pop harmonies and offering a country-tinged, acoustic, sing-along version of “Strawberry,” about a drug addict in the throes of temptation.

The songs are dark, but Alexakis revealed a sense of humor: After an audience member threw a bottle at him during the group’s hit “Santa Monica,” he stopped playing, ridiculed the thrower, and then fell back on his classic-rock roots with a brief rendition of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” Whether this was meant as a mind-clearing exercise for Alexakis and his group or as punishment for the audience wasn’t clear.

Now fame has replaced Summerland as Alexakis’ double-headed monster. While Everclear’s set proved that it’s an able rock band with catchy hooks, plain-spoken lyrics and a surplus of kinetic energy on stage, it still isn’t a boundary-breaking, daring or subversive one along the lines of such forerunners as Nirvana and the Pixies. In light of his inability to be a true pioneer, Alexakis’ real-life nemesis might just be his old rock heroes.