MULTIMEDIA

N.E.R.D. at the Vogue on St. Patrick's Day

On one of the calendar's major party holidays, N.E.R.D. resembled a present-day version of Otis Day & Knights when stirring up a packed house Monday night at the Vogue.

Most audience members wore green gear associated with St. Patrick's Day, and there wasn't a toga in sight.

But N.E.R.D.'s liberating tunes tailored for dances and chants echoed timeless renditions of "Shout" and "Shama Lama Ding Dong" sung by fictional character Day in 1978 film "Animal House."

Binge-drinking is as popular today as it was in the early-'60s time frame of "Animal House." Partying wasn't restricted to drinking then, however, and it isn't restricted to drinking now.

N.E.R.D.'s new single "Everyone Nose" is a hard-charging novelty song based on "all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom." These nightclub patrons accessorize with hundred-dollar bills and they sneeze a lot, according to "Nose's" chorus.

It was difficult not to think of Paris, Lindsay and Britney as N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams sang "Nose" at the Vogue. It was even more difficult to discern if his message was one of empathy or mockery.

Williams, who attained fame and fortune as one-half of hip-hop production team the Neptunes, formed N.E.R.D. with Chad Hugo (the other half of the Neptunes) and Shay Haley.

Five musicians backed Williams, Hugo and Haley in concert, but preview selections from the trio's "Seeing Sounds" album were straightforward romps that leaned heavily on just keyboards and drums.

A shred-filled electric guitar solo popped up in "Killjoy," which might be described as a punk-rock theme for an anti-hero.

During fuzz-toned funk number "Spaz," a mid-tempo groove accelerated to a frenetic pace before slowing down and revving up once more. Williams enjoyed the contrasts: "That (song's) going to start riots," he told the crowd.

Also a star in the world of fashion thanks to his Ice Cream line, Williams wore a red "Billionaire Boys Club" baseball cap and remarkably clear diamonds in his ears and on his fingers.

Williams sang and Haley rapped in equal measure during the first half of the 70-minute show, but Haley's role decreased as the night progressed.

Hugo, meanwhile, lived up to his reputation as a silent partner by playing keyboards and dancing behind Williams and Haley.

In addition to new songs, the program featured earlier N.E.R.D. party anthems "Rock Star," "Lapdance" and "She Wants to Move."

A change of pace arrived with "Maybe," an example of relaxed piano pop not unlike Paul McCartney's work in the 1970s. Rather than being a silly love song, "Maybe" aims a diatribe at someone who had the nerve to dump Williams.

Before N.E.R.D. arrived onstage, DJ Indiana Jones offered an impressive overview of Neptunes-produced hits by artists ranging from Jay-Z and Ludacris to Kelis and No Doubt.