The Presidents of the United States of America are back and better than ever. Frontman Chris Ballew, guitarist Dave Dederer, and drummer Jason Finn have reunited after their 1997 breakup and made their first Boston appearance at the Paradise Lounge on Friday.After being away for so long, it is hard to believe that the band could possibly attract a crowd. But the house was packed packed at the Paradise, and, to the delight of those in attendance, the Presidents appeared on top of their game, playing like it was 1995.

The band was welcomed with a raucous applause that seemed to last for their entire set. As the group opened up with "Boll Weevil," Ballew's voice was a welcome presence-a fresh breeze of life in comparison to many of today's modern music singers

The group was nothing short of entertaining, feeding off the energy that the crowd provided. It didn't seem to matter whether they were playing their Billboard Top 40 songs or their brand new ones from their new album, Love Everybody. Presidents blew through a good number of their stapled songs during the set, from "Kitty" to "Lump" and, of course, "Peaches." Even their new songs, such as "Love Everybody," "Zero Friction" and "Munky River," managed to delight the crowd.

If it wasn't the pure presence of the Presidents being together and playing for the first time in years, then it was their brilliant chemistry that really pulled the show together. From Ballew's interesting play on his 2-string "basitar," to Ballew and Dederer's lively instrument tossing, every minute was pure magic. A highlight of their set was when the band brought out their original drummer, Dave Thiele (a Boston native), for a performance of "Tiki God."

The Presidents entertained the crowd with playful instrumental works (which included all three members playing on the drums during "Tiki God"), inter-working short covers of the Ramones and other artists into their songs and cheering on the Red Sox. The band proved to be just as good as they were before, from their top hits to the songs that only fans remember, such as "Video Killed the Radio Star," "Naked and Famous" and "Dune Buggy." The Presidents' great show was only enhanced by their two opening acts.

The United States of Electronica (U.S.E.) opened up the night to a slightly smaller crowd. The crowd began to get into their music as their set progressed. U.S.E. became progressively more enjoyable with each passing song. From their opening song, "La Discoteca," the danceable music the band produced drew the crowd into the club and prepared them for a night of fun.

Washington Social Club further re-enforced that excitement and fun feeling. The group offered up jittery punkish tunes from "Dead Kid Town" to "Breaking the Dawn." It was the combination of all three bands that truly made the show an event.

With today's music scene being relatively uptight, it's a relief to hear the Presidents are back on the scene. We need their infectious pop sound to remember how to have fun; something today's musicians seem unable to do with their music.