POP MUSIC REVIEW : Jesus Lizard Writhes With Punk

It’s becoming increasingly hard these days for Angst -ridden young rock fans to find rock ‘n’ roll that can still shock their parents. Enter the Jesus Lizard, whose singer David Yow slapped members of the Whisky audience on the head Wednesday as they responded with obscene gestures--and more.

The Chicago quartet’s tight tirades of no-frills punk-rock charged this twisted show of mutual respect in which the fans idolized the aptly named Yow one minute and pulverized him the next.

The shirtless singer, who looked like Bono gone wrong in his tight black jeans and Cuban-heeled boots, scanned the club with beady eyes, making you wonder if the band coined its name from his reptilian glare.

His steady, powerful growls ripped over jolting, stop-and-go rhythms and clean, jazzy bass lines. Yow frequently lunged into the audience, who would pass the squirming singer over their heads and finally dump him back on stage. He even stepped straight off the stage onto the fans’ heads, as if walking on water.

At a time when stage-diving antics have become commonplace on the alternative-rock scene, the Jesus Lizard’s full-throttle musical attack and its unpredictable streak of maniacal abandon are potent reminders that rock ‘n’ roll can still be a dangerous and exciting place.