POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Cramps Show Why They’re Irreplaceable

Somewhere between giddy surf music and the creepy kitsch of ‘50s horror flicks, the Cramps have been providing dark party tunes to the rock underground for years. The L.A.-based quartet--which has been playing its warped go-go music in leopard-skin get-ups since 1977--hasn’t changed much over the years, but, like the Ramones, the band’s look and sound form such a signature that its niche is unfillable by any other group.

On Friday at the Palace, the Cramps not only proved irreplaceable but also consistently on-the-mark with a set so energized it made Reverend Horton Heat look morose. The band’s irresistible party vibe even had the poker-faced security guys shaking their hips next to flamboyantly clad fans.

Singer Lux Interior, dressed in black latex and hazardously high stilettos, shook uncontrollably as he sang classics like “Goo Goo Muck,” and “New Kind of Kick” in his Elvis-meets-Bela Lugosi voice. His longtime partner Poison Ivy contributed her wavering guitar sound, completing the appeal of the ‘60s-esque tunes.

The Cramps seemed to enjoy themselves as much as the sold-out crowd, and that enthusiasm, coupled with its freakish edge, is the key to the band’s longevity.