My name is Jim Fraenkel. And I went to see Hall & Oates. I’m not ashamed. And neither should they be. I’ve always said that if you stick around long enough, you just might become cool again (unless, of course, you’re erstwhile Styx singer Dennis DeYoung — in which case that just ain’t gonna happen).

Now, I’m not sure that Hall & Oates were ever cool to begin with. But on a hot, humid Wednesday night in New York City, there was no cooler place to be than inside the Nokia Theatre Times Square, where a pair of pop radio’s most prolific hitmakers had frat boys screaming for songs written before they were born. Sure, there were plenty of Boomer/Gen X-cusps in the reserved seating at the back of the room, but the general-admission floor section attracted a surprisingly youthful crowd.

Looking a bit like the first two bars in a Cingular logo (Hall is a lot taller than Oates, for those of you not following), the duo christened the evening with a song so classic it inspired one of the T-shirts available for sale at the show. And did you know that “Maneater” itself was inspired by Janice Dickinson? (Well, that’s what someone told me a few days ago, anyway. I can’t remember who, and I haven’t bothered to check the trivia tidbit yet, so feel free to call me out with a contentious comment if I’m wrong. But I digress …)

I was immediately struck by the lack of pretense, pomp and/or circumstance on display. Astoundingly now in their early 60s and late 50s, respectively, Hall & Oates seemed to have little interest in proving that they can still rock like they were kids, nor did it feel as though they were quenching a thirst for desperately needed affirmation. Instead, Hall & Oates seemed genuinely gratified to be playing music they clearly enjoyed writing as much as they most likely did spending the money it earned them.

Opening the show up to requests within five or 10 minutes of taking the stage, they answered an apparent chorus of calls for “Las Vegas Turnaround” — a more obscure track that nonetheless scored relatively high billing on the Ultimate Daryl Hall & John Oates collection, it’s one I really wanted to hear but had few hopes of actually doing so. Even as I wondered aloud if the Sara who was “off flying gambling fools to the holy land, Las Vegas” was the same Sara who once “smiled,” I knew this was gonna be a great night.

Backed by a nine-piece band — including longtime bassist T-Bone Wolk, a purple-clad saxophonist and a string section dubbed the “Soul Violins” — Hall & Oates were in superior musical form. All I could think from the moment Daryl opened his mouth was if Steve Perry’s vocals are even half as intact as this guy’s, dude better come to his senses quick and take advantage of all the fanfare bestowed upon him in recent weeks.

Just as impressive as the vocals was the groove. The kings of toe-tapping top 40 radio in the ’80s, people sometimes sleep on the soulfulness of Hall & Oates’ earlier work, the more overtly R&B-influenced material they churned out in the ’70s. Songs like “She’s Gone” and “Sara Smile” (both of which they played) and “Do What You Want, Be What You Are” (which they didn’t) could teach Usher a thing or two.

Though sometimes less obvious, those Philly-soul roots inform even the band’s poppiest hits (and their favorite covers), of which, on this night, there was certainly no shortage. Hearing it live for the first time — and having largely forgotten about it until now — “Family Man” sounded strangely “Pressure”-era Billy Joel to me, while “One on One” and “Out of Touch” were vintage H&O.

Without a doubt, though, the crowd reserved its strongest and most rousing reaction for the first song of the second encore. “Rich Girl,” the group’s first #1 single in America (in March 1977), was a sing-along celebration that now ranks among my all-time favorite concert experiences.

The setlist was relentless. And, perhaps recognizing that this was just the first of a two-night run in New York City, they left us wanting more. Chants of “Private Eyes” went unanswered. But I’m willing to bet few left unhappy. Hall & Oates rock. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Random Observations: Daryl Hall looks a lot like the lead singer of Puddle of Mudd, while John Oates’ stature and mannerisms conjure Paul Simon. And, if you’re sporting hair like Hall’s, you should definitely travel with a wind-machine-strength fan. Maybe Daryl borrowed his from Janice Dickinson.

Setlist (minus a few we didn’t know):
“Maneater”
“Say It Isn’t So”
“Las Vegas Turnaround”
“Family Man”
“Do It for Love”
“She’s Gone”
“One on One”
“Wait for Me”
“Sara Smile”
“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”
“What’s Going On”

First encore:
“Out of Touch”
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”

Second encore:
“Rich Girl”
“Kiss on My List”

Third encore:
“Hot Fun in the Summertime”