NEW YORK -- Formerly known as "the band with the guy

from 'Rushmore,' " Phantom Planet packed Irving Plaza Friday night with

fervent young fans -- mostly of the female persuasion.

Although "the guy from 'Rushmore,' " drummer Jason Schwartzman, left to

pursue his acting career, the ladies still had something to scream

about. Lead singer/guitarist Alex Greenwald, a former Gap model clad in

torn, skintight jeans, was an instant heartthrob. It also didn't hurt

that guitarists Jacques Brautbar and Darren Robinson, bassist Sam

Farrar and new drummer Jeff Conrad were easy on the eyes. ([article id="1486173"]Click for photos from the show.[/article])

"Hello, New York!" Greenwald greeted the enthusiastic audience as the

group delved into "Knowitall," "Making a Killing," "1st Things 1st" and

"Badd Business," all from Phantom Planet, which came out in

January. The new tunes are significantly different from those on the

band's previous albums, as Phantom Planet have unapologetically traded

in their sunny, sing-along pop anthems for snotty Strokes-style garage

rock.

The crowd nearly swooned when Greenwald dedicated "Always on My Mind,"

from 2002's The Guest, to "all the ladies in the audience." When

he stepped off the stage and attempted to crowd-surf while singing,

fans unabashedly groped his tiny frame. After Greenwald was rescued by

security, Phantom Planet ended their set with "Big Brat," the first

single from their new album. Midway through, Greenwald climbed the

platform next to the stage and asked the audience, "Will you catch me?"

When he let himself fall backward into the sea of people, they gladly

obliged. Greenwald gave a sly smile as he apologized for "clunking a

few heads" and finished the rest of the song.

After several minutes of earsplitting, nonstop shrieks, the band slowly

straggled back onto the stage for the encore. Brautbar explained,

"We're going to need some audience participation for this next song.

Even the hipsters in the back who might be too cool -- just let it

go." And everyone did let loose when the quintet broke into their

breakthrough track, "California," a catchy, feel-good homage to their

home state and the theme song to FOX's "The O.C."

The fivesome closed the night with the crowd-pleasing "All Over Again,"

featuring a rowdy drum solo by newcomer Conrad, who easily meshed with

the rest of the band. It wasn't long before Farrar and Greenwald joined

in, equipped with their own set of drumsticks. Following the trio's

crazed bout of furious drumming, Greenwald returned to his mic for the

finale, in which he frantically chanted lines that summed up the events

of the night: "You are crowding me in/ I want to get out/ This is the

end/ All over again." Phantom Planet then departed the stage, leaving

the screaming crowd wanting more.

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