Albert Hammond Jr., Big-Haired Dreamboat

Last year, Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. stepped out on his own to launch a solo side career and make the rounds promoting his well-received debut album, Yours to Keep. After last night’s Webster Hall show, we now know to credit the album’s success to Hammond’s No. 1 demographic: girls, girls, girls. Cheering, jumping around, and shoving their way through the crowd, the under-21 set dominated the proceedings.

After an amicable “Hey, how are you guys doing?� there was little banter for the rest of the night beyond the singer’s vocal appreciation for the fact that people were getting drunk on a Monday. Looking dapper in his usual natty suit, Hammond mused that things were better “back in the day when [his] suits didn’t look like pajamas.� (Before he was in the Strokes? Before he could headline a tour with a band named after him?)

Beyond the eye candy, the real treat was the encore Albert played: a new tune from his forthcoming record. Alas, the sound system cut out just as fans were craning their necks to hear the song’s title, and he didn’t repeat himself. Once he was done, all that was left for the blissed-out hordes was to head home — so they could post their adoring comments on Albert’s MySpace page. —Jocelyn Guest