Teenagers are difficult to deal with. When you’re a singer/songwriter opening for a popular rock band, standing in front of a crowd of youngsters who have no clue who you are may be even more daunting. Australian Ben Lee (who some teens probably recognized only as Claire Danes’ supposed ex) took the hard road, turning up the humor and cracking jokes during his 40-minute set. After he and his band set up the equipment, Lee offered a sarcastic thanks to the techies for helping him load the stage before diving into songs from his new album, Hey You, Yes You. He was most ably aided by multi-tasking bandmate Lara Gary (she plays keyboard and drums—sometimes simultaneously) on songs such as the romantic and pleading “Run” and the beat-heavy “Dirty Mind.”

While covering OutKast’s “Hey Ya,” Lee asked the audience, “What’s cooler than being cool?” In his best Andre 3000 voice, Lee intoned, “Ladies/I wanna see y’all on your baddest behavior/Lend me some sugar/I am your neighbor.” The biggest crowd-pleaser, though, was his rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” possibly the only song the audience actually knew the lyrics to.

When Lee returned to his own material, he asked the crowd, “Do you mind if I play you some phat beats?” The response was enthusiastic: “I love this guy!” cooed one teenage girl. “He’s adorable.” He concluded his audience conversion with a sly joke: “What’s the hardest part about learning to rollerblade?” Pause. “Telling your parents you’re gay.” After that, Lee could’ve plopped down on the stage and sucked his thumb, and he still would’ve been a hit.

It would seem impossible to top Ben Lee’s wit, but the new and improved Phantom Planet was up for the challenge. The band members entered the stage one at a time, ending the mini-procession with new drummer Jeff Conrad (Hollywood homeboy Jason Schwartzman quit the band after 2002’s acclaimed The Guest to pursue his acting career).

But a lineup change wasn’t the only recent shift for Phantom Planet. The group’s new, self-titled album is darker, more serious and less pop-oriented than The Guest. Recorded in upstate New York under the guidance of producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Mercury Rev), the album is one black and bloody affair: all moody guitars, surging anger and endless sadness. Former Gap model and singer Alex Greenwald rarely spoke onstage, and watched his band rip through a set full of the gloomy material from Phantom Planet before launching into some old favorites (“California” and “Lonely Day”).

During the final song of Phantom’s encore, Greenwald pointed toward the back of the room and said, “I want you to take me all the way back there.” Jumping off the stage (his second round of crowd-surfing that night), he let hundreds of hands carry him to the back of the theater, where he climbed up to the balcony and finished the last song, “All Over Again,” hanging from the railing. Theoretically, Ben Lee and Phantom Planet could team up and teach Great Rock Shows 101. Lee could handle the humor (and the selection of cover tunes) and Phantom Planet could lecture on the art of making grand entrances and unforgettable exits.