During their heyday of the late 70’s through the mid-80’s, the San Francisco group The Tubes were known for their on-stage theatrics — most notably lead singer Fee Waybill, who made more costume changes in one show than Cher and Diana Ross made in 10 shows combined. There was an element of both circus and freak show every time the band played, which led people to believe they were comedic punks. True, some of their songs had a rebellious tone, but several others were about love, mostly love lost. Their bile-laden signature song, the Hollywood rip-job "White Punks on Dope," became an anthemic cult classic, but it turned out to be their only nationwide marker with their first label, A&M. When the band moved to Capitol after being dropped by A&M, they managed to pull a couple of mega-hits out of the fire, most notably "Talk To Ya Later" and "She’s a Beauty," the latter with its provocative video that MTV endlessly aired. Fast forward to 2004, and The Tubes are still around, still performing and still putting on a stage show that would rival most Broadway outposts. Which is perfect, since their stop in New York took place right smack in the middle of the theater district, at B.B. King’s Blues Club in the heart of Times Square.

Waybill had a five piece band for accompaniment, including a pair of original members: guitarist Roger Steen and bassist Rick Anderson (who came out in hospital scrubs with a balloon print pattern and his face slightly made up with clown paint). After a short instrumental, the band broke into "Theme Park" to start the show, with Waybill in whiteface. Next was "She’s a Beauty," one of the tightest songs of the evening. Other standouts included "Mondo Bondage" (Waybill in leather chaps) and right after that, he donned a t-shirt that barely covered his bare butt for one of the only "serious" songs of the set, a killer version of "Don’t Want To Wait Anymore." Most of the night was given over to outlandish goofiness, something you would expect from the Tubes. "Tip of My Tongue" had Waybill in some sort of Elvis get-up, while for "Sushi Girl," he came out like a Ginzu chef gone mad. He wore a TV on his head for "T.V. is King," and of course, it wouldn’t be a Tubes show without the appearance of Waybill’s alter-ego, Quay Lewd. Once the roadie set up the eight-foot microphone, you knew what was coming and Waybill didn’t disappoint. For those unfamiliar with the legend of Quay Lewd, let’s just say that he has several "issues" that a cross-dressing rock star who stands over eight feet tall would have. In Q.L. mode, the band did a pair of tunes: "Boy Crazy," and of course, "White Punks on Dope." A "normal" Waybill (simple t-shirt and pants) and the band came back for a trio of encores, including a new song ("Life is Pain") a diehard-fan selection ("It’s a Matter of Pride"), and of course, "Talk to You Later."

Obviously Waybill is the star and the focal point, but the rest of the band did its job well, as the music was simply great. It seems that a lot of the shows that have come out in the last few years (not counting the flavor of the month) have been along the nostalgia craze. Most falling under that umbrella have been the bigger names (Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, etc.), but some of the better, cheaper and more underrated shows have come from bands and artists who never did stay for a long time above the musical radar screen. The Tubes are safely ensconced in that second category, and they do nothing more than work hard to entertain (and succeed). If you are a fan, then by all means, see the show — it’s still as crazy as ever. If you’re looking for a night’s entertainment where you get your money’s worth, then seeing this band more than fills the bill. Not bad for a bunch of white punks still apparently on dope.