Oasis flowers in Garden


Oasis singer Liam Gallagher belts out some tunes last night for faithful fans during concert at Madison Square Garden.

Remember Oasis?
Back around the time the Earth's crust was cooling, that brash British group ruled the UK charts. For a spell - the mid- to late '90s, to be exact - Oasis even threatened to turn America into its love slave as well.

Somehow, it never happened over here. But you'd never know it from last night's crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Despite a string of poor-selling - and worse-reviewed - albums in the U.S., Oasis managed to pack the giant arena. More improbably, it pulled out a show that, in many ways, lived up to its original hype and promise.

Countering the densely layered slog of its recent recordings, the band sounded fleet and toned. Even some of the most dronish cuts from its brand new CD, "Don't Believe the Truth," swung. The uncommonly good sound at the Garden, and the brilliantly responsive crowd, didn't hurt.

The concert setting also gave Oasis the chance to cherry-pick the best of its older songs. The too-T-Rex-for-words "Cigarettes & Alcohol" chugged merrily next to the uniquely rousing "What's the Story Morning Glory?" The latter also serves as the title track to the band's one unceasingly great CD.

In the studio, a kind of rigor mortis has set into singer Liam Gallagher's sneer. But live, he put more nuance and conviction behind his attitude. It's his brother Noel who owns the more emotive voice. Noel's take on "Little by Little" showed what the group could do if it allowed more vulnerability to shine through.

Then again, Oasis originally made it in the UK in large part on sheer blow-hard ego. Last night, the band showed how much fun you can have in the pursuit of the perfect swagger.

It had ample competition on that score from its equally cocky opening act, Jet. This hit Australian group strutted through a Frankenstein monster's worth of classic-rock bits and pieces. Early Bowie, AC/DC, the Faces and Free informed every riff and shout Jet offered. Luckily, Jet showed enough melodic flair, charisma and instrumental chops to make rehashing seem like a virtue. It does retro right.