TOMATA DU PLENTY

He’s got the sneering, big-lipped mouth and the round-shouldered, knee-lifting boxer’s prance down pat. But former punk singer Tomata du Plenty, who made his dance debut in “Last Stop L.A.” Saturday night at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, needs a collaborator with a more mature notion of performance art.

Frederick Barr, the young dancer responsible for the evening’s choreography, seems to be under the spell of fraternity-house entertainment. Stripped from suit and tie to G-string, he offered a series of sweaty, frantic bumps and grinds.

Then Du Plenty dashed out on roller skates to deliver a demented monologue about having lost his home, presumably connected to the young-man-comes-to-L.A.-and- meets-weirdos theme established at the beginning.

Another bout of sophomoric romping in a big mask and a silly costume displayed a misplaced faith in the artistry of strobe lights. The duo finished with a ragged but amusing boxing routine that zigzagged from sparring match to effusively comradely dancing.

The program also included a poetry reading in English and Spanish by Marisela Norte, with Willy Loya on congas and bongos. In English, sharply observed images of East Los Angeles life only sporadically rose above flat language and familiar life-and-love laments.