It’s good to know that glam rock isn’t dead. It just went into hibernation so that its key players could crash their cars, go to rehab, and film episodes of "Behind The Music". Now that the episodes are out, the stars are becoming stars again.

Take Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille, for example. After derailing with drink, drugs, and obesity, he came back from the repair shop revamped and returned to the mid-state this summer with Poison to headline Hersheypark’s Star Pavilion. Not content with nostalgia alone, DeVille is determined to do it all again with a new side-project called Samantha 7. The band made a tour stop at D’Alexander’s in Lebanon on November 3, sharing a bill with fellow veterans Skid Row and local nowhere fasts, Bash Nasty.

Snagging their moniker from a Japanese cartoon character, perhaps a better name for Samantha 7 would be C.C. 1. It’s his show. It’s his songs. It’s his shots. It’s his spotlight. Indeed, Samantha 7 is the final indulgence of C.C. DeVille, giving him everything that Poison can’t — everything. And a microphone.

Musically there’s not much difference between the two bands. Samantha 7’s songs recall early Poison, circa "Look What The Cat Dragged In," capturing that raw and under-produced energy while preserving as well the boyish and oftentimes flippant lyricism. The result falls squarely within the parameters of glam rock, pushing no envelopes, testing no waters, covering no new ground. And it’s entirely entertaining.

The set at D’Alexander’s was short, lasting just over half an hour with seven songs from the band’s self-titled debut, and one, "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine," a DeVille tune from Poison’s latest offering, Power to the People. Taking to the stage with a pink glitter Les Paul and his trademark platinum blond hair, DeVille began his incessant talking immediately, starting with a cartoonish, "How are you guys? I’m C.C. DeVille and this is Samantha 7 and we have a great show for you tonight!" DeVille introduced each song with a story, often revealing the deep and penetrating meanings behind the tunes (let’s see, there was one about bondage, one about cheating, one about wanting to be famous, and one about a bad day … titled simply, "I’m Not Having A Good Day.") Despite the one-dimensionalism of both the lyrics and the power chord punch, the music was saturated with one essential ingredient missing from so much of today’s hard rock — fun. This is party music and it’s not supposed to be anything else.