Reviews

When the Sex Pistols re-formed in 1996, expectations were sky-high and results were lackluster. But with the New York Dolls, the opposite has been true.

JASON JANIK/ Special Contributor

Singer David Johansen and other members of the New York Dolls rock the Granada Theater.

Few people paid any mind when the Dolls regrouped four years ago, just as few people bought their records the first time around (1971-77). That lack of attention made their show Sunday night feel like a wonderful surprise.

Performing at the Granada Theater for several hundred vocal fans, the Dolls cranked out 90 minutes of candy-coated arsenic: The hooks were irresistible, while the guitars and drums hit like a sledgehammer to the temple.

They first perfected their sweet-and-sour formula on 1973's New York Dolls, an album that paved the way for the Pistols and punk rock in general. Onstage, as singer David Johansen snarled and spat through "Looking for a Kiss" in his New Yawk accent, it was impossible not to think of the Ramones.

It was also hard to miss the Dolls' influence on glam and hard rock. "Stranded in the Jungle" showed you exactly where Van Halen stole the monkey-shrieking intro to "Everybody Wants Some." Poison, Kiss and Guns N' Roses might not exist if not for "Personality Crisis," the show's triumphant encore.

But as ahead of their time as the Dolls were, they've never been afraid to borrow from '50s and '60s bands. The 58-year-old Mr. Johansen wiggled across the stage like Mick Jagger on sedatives as he sang a nasty version of the Janis Joplin hit "Piece of My Heart."

Several tunes sported doo-wop melodies and girl-group harmonies. One of the show's high points arrived in an amphetamine remake of "Pills," the Bo Diddley classic about a "rock 'n' roll nurse" who casts a spell on her patient.

Bassist Sami Yaffa (ex-Hanoi Rocks) filled in admirably for the late Arthur "Killer" Kane, the Doll turned Mormon who starred in the fascinating '04 doc New York Doll. Lead guitarist Steve Conte – replacing the late Johnny Thunders – led the band with his succinct, bare-knuckle solos.

But the Doll to watch was founding member Sylvain Sylvain, a pint-size dynamo in tight red pants and a black cap. As a rhythm guitarist, he was adequate. But as a comic rabble-rouser, he was invaluable as he strutted and pranced and generally acted like God's gift to rock 'n' roll.

"Doesn't anybody not like Sylvain Sylvain?" he asked.

Everyone applauded, as well they should have. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame might deem the Dolls unworthy of admittance, but for 95 minutes Sunday, Dallas fans gave them their due.

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