BERKELEY, Calif.--The mother of all jam-band supergroups hit the Greek Theatre at the University of California, Berkeley on Friday night (10/26) with the subtlety of a fireworks show. Expectations were high and so were the scalpers' asking prices.

Somehow, the combustible mix known as Oysterhead [ tickets ] managed to live up to both the hype and to its members' lofty credentials. It was the best jam-rock show in the Bay Area since Phish [ tickets ] played the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View last October.

Oysterhead is a ridiculously loaded band featuring the talents of guitarist-vocalist Trey Anastasio of Phish, bassist-vocalist Les Claypool of Primus [ tickets ] and drummer Stewart Copeland of the Police.

The three musicians first came together to play a single gig at New Orleans' Saenger Theater last year as part of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. But it was such a super jam that the players went on to record an album of originals ("The Grand Pecking Order") and make plans for this much-anticipated national tour.

The scene in Berkeley resembled that of a Phish show. Lots of unwashed college kids danced around inside the venue and milled around outside the venue looking to score a "miracle ticket." And, at its roots, Oysterhead plays Phish-style music .

That said, it might seem natural for Anastasio to be the leader of the band. But he’s not. Claypool seems in charge here. It's his wacky flourishes and weirdo lyrics that really define this Oysterhead project.

The band played almost all of "The Grand Pecking Order" on Friday, and the concert versions sounded even stronger than the album tracks. Claypool's nasal vaudeville vocals were perfect for goofy songs like "Army's On Ecstasy" and Anastasio jammed like a true guitar hero on tunes including "Rubberneck Lions."

I haven’t seen Copeland play since watching the Police in the ‘80s and, thus, I was in for quite an awakening. That man is simply one of the most tuneful and tasty percussionists on the planet. Playing against Claypool's chunky bass lines and Anastasio's stellar guitar leads, Copeland was continually able to rise up and take control of the proceedings.

The scariest thing about the band is that it will surely get better as the players grew more comfortable in this gig. Oysterhead may someday be spoken in the company of the all-time great power trios like Cream and Copeland's old band, the Police.