Oysterhead Plays Rock With Style

As a free-form power trio of accomplished rock players--Phish singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio, Primus singer-bassist Les Claypool and Police drummer Stewart Copeland--Oysterhead could easily end up aimless and self-indulgent.

There was some of that at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday, but those few moments were balanced by playing that was both heavy and direct, less about fusion than classic rock grooves. Oysterhead was actually best during the long instrumentals, where bright, sharp interaction overwhelmed any clumsy jazzbo pretensions.

The musical chops far outpace the songwriting found on Oysterhead’s debut album, “The Grand Pecking Order.” But at the Palladium, the music at least provided a solid foundation for worthwhile improvisation that was rarely bogged down by cleverness.

The band’s quirkiest moments emerged whenever Claypool took the microphone, taking “Shadow of a Man” and “Mr. Oysterhead” into typically spaced-out territory. His comical edginess also provided a nice balance to the earnest presence of Anastasio, who showed himself capable of dynamic playing minus the squishy self-indulgence of Phish. Copeland moved between two drum kits, pounding his urgent, complex beats.

The three disparate pieces of Oysterhead fit together well, sometimes even playing with the ease and power of Cream, another trio of big, competing talents. Like that ‘60s blues-rock act, Oysterhead was unafraid to stretch out but also knew the value of pulling things back to earth.