Generation rumble

First of all, yes, he does look a little bit like the freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Pretty lanky, tall and youthful, dressed in casual black with dark hair standing on end and a friendly but slightly aloof demeanor that bespeaks many an hour spent on stage before adoring crowds. And the kid can play: guitars, both electric and acoustic; electric piano and organ, sometimes simultaneously; and harmonica with one of those keep-your-hands-free neck brackets that Dylan made iconic for harp-blowing strummers a few decades back.

Greene and his hot band, which consisted of bassist Jeremy Plog, drummer Bruce Spencer, and second guitarist Nathan Dale, had the audience with them from the first note of the dramatic “Hollywood,” a sort of moralistically downbeat assessment of showbiz that nonetheless drew whoops of enthusiasm from the ranks.

Greene acknowledged the audience with a casual, “How y’all doin'?” while strapping on a shiny black acoustic guitar. “I’m just startin’ to wake up,” he said, and repeated “How you guys doin'?” to a louder roar of approval as he began the fast-paced rhythm of “About Cell Block #9.”

The music slowed and softened a bit for “When You’re Walking Away,” but the dance floor stayed full for the country-tinged song of fractured love, sung in a semi-whispery vocal over a rim-snapping snare drum beat. The highlight of the first set was its closer, “The Lord Mistreats Me,” a scorcher of a keyboard number that also included an extended guitar break and the fullest dance floor so far.

Post-break, the danceable love song “Mexican Girl,” fused a rocking blues guitar wah-wah solo with a flamenco interlude that showed off the fine musicianship of the band. But then the music transitioned from Dylanesque rock to Jack Johnsonesque soft rock, including semi-falsetto choruses and some less-than-incendiary guitar.

Fortunately, the energy level was brought back up after a couple of numbers, and by the time Greene was singing “I’m So Gone,” the 40-something ladies were screaming, “I love you, Jackie!” while their middle-aged dates looked on indulgently.

After a standing ovation and a brief break, the band came back for “Cold Black Devil / 14 Miles,” a swamp boogie encore enhanced by synthesizer whooshes, some awesome upfront bass playing and a guitar duel that fired up the crowd and made me wonder what this band could pull off if it stayed in rock ‘n’ roll mode for another hour or so.