TUBES LACKING IN ALBANY.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: MICHAEL ECK Special to the Times Union

The term ``selling out'' has been bandied about in rock 'n' roll circles almost since the genre began.

Usually it's been little more than an excuse for ardent fans to dismiss favorite bands when they get too big to be cool, or when they accidentally stumble on to a pop single.

The Tubes, however, pretty much define the term. They were back in town Wednesday night trying to cash in again on their hopelessly dated legacy.

One wonders though, just how much a band that used to play The Palace can cash in at Valentine's, the New Scotland Avenue nightclub that usually features a more alternative bent than Fee Waybill and the gang.

The Tubes first made their mark in early '70s San Francisco with an outrageous stage show that was confrontational and often bordered on pornography. Leader Waybill, in his guise as glam-rock anti-star Quay Lewd, sent up TV culture, rock 'n' roll posturing and American hypocrisy. The band violently skewered sacred cows and parodied everything.

The band also wanted a hit, though, and as their album sales dipped to the point that A&M dropped them in 1980, they decided to clean up, straighten out and spoon-feed a fledgling MTV just what it wanted -- pasteurized hits like ``Talk To Ya Later,'' ``She's A Beauty'' and ``Sushi Girl.''

The hits (often penned by outside writers such as Toto's Steve Lukather) worked, and Tubes made money and got their mugs on the same TV they had so loved to parody.

The concept of a Tubes reunion is even slimier than their first fall from grace. It was a disappointing sight to see the once radical Waybill and company togged out in jeans and T-shirts for their Valentine's date. It was clear from the first note that they weren't taking this Tubes nostalgia as seriously as their fans were.

The band itself sounded tight, often focused even, but Waybill mostly grumbled throughout the set -- about the sound system, about drunken fans and, while not quite so obviously, about the situation itself. At the end of the night he argued against leaving the small stage before the traditional return and muttered ``let's just do the encore and call it a night.''

Fans wanted to hear the above tunes and they did -- as well as concert staples like the now tired and meaningless ``White Punks on Dope,'' ``What Do You Want From Life'' and the near-hit ``Piece by Piece.'' They just didn't hear them with any verve.

The only time Waybill exhibited anything near genuine interest was when he stopped a song to rail against anti-smoking factions in his home state of California.

Luckily, fans hungrier for something with a little more substance were offered two bright sets by the best pop bands Albany has to offer, The Staziaks and The Vodkasonics. Both bands were eager to please and to hawk their new CDs: respectively ``Teenagesurvivalinstructions'' and ``Take Her To The Zoo.''

Staziaks' leader John Powhida sang, looked and sounded like Todd Rundgren on a good night, effortlessly decorating his first-rate melodies with a swooping falsetto and a churning guitar.

On the delightful ``Oh Delilah,'' he took things a step higher, with a dead-on Prince cop that would make the Artist himself blush.

Vodkasonics countered with a tougher two-guitar attack that crackled and caressed a flurry of '60s-ish, psych-tinged pop.

Guitarist/vocalist Seth Powell has quickly come into his own as a confident frontman and a solid tunesmith.

On Wednesday he and his cohorts coughed up gems like ``Guns,'' ``Picture Show'' and ``Silver Trays'' with both elan and natty looking suits.

FACTS:MUSIC REVIEW THE TUBES When: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday (although the music didn't start 'til after 10)Where: Valentine's, 17 New Scotland Ave., AlbanyMusical highlights: That's easy -- The Staziaks and The Vodkasonics. Tubes fans were certainly glad to hears the hits, ``She's a Beauty'' and ``Talk To Ya Later'' in particular.