POP WEEKEND : The Show . . .

All the emphasis on the tension surrounding the Run-D.M.C./Beastie Boys’s “Forever Together” tour is obscuring the real, liberating message of these shows: the racial re-integration of rock ‘n’ roll.

Rock was launched in the ‘50s by a coalition of outcast black R&B; and white country artists, and the audiences--at least in most urban areas--reflected that racial exchange. But that balance has eroded over the years, partially the result of segregated radio formats.

The audience at most rock concerts today--whether mainstream heroes such as U2 or underground mavericks like the Replacements--are 95% or more white. Prince made strides during his “Purple Rain” success at bringing white and black fans together again in concert, but there was such emphasis on Prince’s celebrity that the audiences were almost invisible at those shows.

That’s not the case with the Run-D.M.C./Beasties tour, where the racial composition of the audience becomes a statement. Indeed, there is reason to suspect the fact that this biracial bill (the three members of Run-D.M.C. are black, the three Beasties are white) is attracting a mixed audience is why the shows are being so closely monitored around the country by the media and police.

If the idea of teen passions being inflamed by rock ‘n’ roll is enough to worry some adults, the idea of a multiracial crowd being inflamed adds to the fears. And the crowd Saturday was as equally divided as if the board of supervisors had required that the audience consist of one-third black, one-third white and one-third Hispanic.

With the memory of the Long Beach violence still with us, there was clearly a trace of tension. When a few fans near the stage suddenly stood up during the first intermission and pointed to the grassy area behind the permanent seats, everyone else leaped to their feet too--and you can bet some were thinking fight. But there was no trouble.

Let’s make it clear again: These bands in no way advocate or incite violence in either music or in their manner. Bratty and foul-mouthed at times, but responsible. Run-D.M.C. is the more experienced act and its members exhibit more command on stage, but they both assert an individuality and independence that is in keeping with the best tradition of rock. If the bands and their audiences are raising questions that make society at large feel uneasy, the problem rests with society at large--not with Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys.