Photo: Guy Eppel

4/20 has become synonymous with a few different things: smoking pot, not going to class to smoke pot, taking an extra long lunch break so that you can smoke pot. When Adam Green comes to town, however, 4/20 becomes more related to things like raw grooves, over-sized captain’s hats, torn Garfield shirts, and supreme amounts of sweat. Fenway Recordings brought Green back to Allston’s Great Scott on Tuesday to support the release of his new album Minor Love.

Openers and Boston natives the Dead Trees also played as Green’s backing band. Now based in LA, they roll back through Boston a few times a year and seem to get sharper and tighter every time they return. Giving the crowd a heaping sample of what to find on their upcoming album, they showed a real grasp on tempo changes and a newfound acquisition of sunny California sounds. Between the new stuff, a hunk of tunes off of their last album King of Rosa, and an especially rad cover of John Lennon’s “Surprise, Surprise,” the Trees left Boston with a sweet taste in its mouth and a widespread impatience for the release of their new record.

Fans packed the front of the house as Green took the stage sporting a studded leather jacket, a Garfield T-shirt, and a bottle of Amstel. With the Trees behind him, he tore through an onslaught of new tunes, starting with the lead-off track from Minor Love, “Breaking Locks.” With requests and even the occasional heckles being spit out from spirited audience members, Green powered on with new highlights like “Buddy Bradley,” “What Makes Him Act So Bad,” and “Give Them a Token.” After a handful of plugged-in numbers, the band left the stage and Green performed a few with an acoustic. Green fed the crowd some bare-bones versions of tunes like “Bluebirds” and “Drugs.”

When the Dead Trees returned to the stage, Green ramped it up and the crowd responded in a big way. As he shuffled and undulated on stage, audience members began to shake and boogie to “Emily” and “Dance With Me.” Great Scott heated up so much that Green ripped off his Garfield shirt and went for two successful stage dives. The upbeat clap-along “Goblin” kept the energy soaring throughout the lengthy set until he reached the final tune of “Jessica”- a bittersweet ode to American sweetheart Jessica Simpson.

Between both acts, Allston was reminded not only what rock sounds like, but also what it feels like. The band sounded absolutely flawless, Green’s struts were both hilarious and energetic, and the crowd jumped and bumped with enthusiasm and passion. Despite any Marathon Day hangover or 4/20 daze, the audience embraced this show for what it was: a night of pure, ass-kicking rock. By the end of the night it was clear that both Adam and the Dead Trees are welcome back in Boston any time.

–Perry Eaton