Pure pop is on tap as Fountains of Wayne take the stage forNo Better Place, a 2005 show that is the group’s first DVD release. If there’s one thing these guys have in spades, it’s a knack for writing songs that manage to be both hip and catchy--witness bassist Adam Schlesinger’s Oscar nomination for the title track to the filmThat Thing You Do!, as well as his contributions to numerous other successful films and television shows. Fountains of Wayne’s best work is arguably their 2003 recordingWelcome Interstate Managers(featuring "Stacy’s Mom," simply one of the best pop singles of the decade), and they wisely focus on that album here; besides "Stacy," tunes like "Hackensack," the Simon & Garfunkel-esque "Valley Winter Song," and "Hey Julie" all showcase Schlesinger and lead singer Chris Collingwood’s flair for melody, hooks, and clever lyrical turns of phrase about "a mean little man with a clip-on tie and a rub-on tan" and other characters (while well-observed, the material tends to be somewhat smug and condescending toward its subjects and the prosaic details of their daily lives). Song-wise, then, these boys have it covered. Their performance, however, leaves something to be desired. Collingwood, the front-man, makes little effort to engage with the audience (Schlesinger, guitarist Jody Porter, and drummer Brian Young make none at all), to the point where the concert would probably work just as well in an audio-only format. The bonus material consists of five songs performed acoustically in a recording studio.--Sam Graham