The notion of Brit-pop hitting it big in the states is becoming less and less feasible. Take Supergrass, for one. Their third, self-titled album, is by far their strongest effort, full of fun, mature songs that outshine many other current releases by their contemporaries. Unfortunately, shows like this are the type of thing that will hold them back. Don't get me wrong, I adore Supergrass, but I was just not impressed with this performance.

Their set opened up with two older songs, a selection from "In It For the Money" and "Strange Ones." The Hammond organ intro began as the band started playing "Mary," off the of the new album. These songs were marked by a sever lack of energy from the band, and energy was something that has been the hallmark of their performances for years. Was this simply an off-night, or is this the new, mature Supergrass? The new songs may lack the playfulness of such early hits as "Alright" and "The Sun Hits the Sky" (which were played tonight), but they do not lack the energy. Somehow this was not translated to the stage tonight. Even the two song encore which ended with "Caught By the Fuzz" failed to get anyone moving. Hopefully this was just an off-night.