POP REVIEW : Flirtations Offer Solid Music, Humor

The Flirtations, self-identified as “the world’s first and only politically active, multicultural, all-gay a cappella vocal quintet,” gave a performance at Highways on Wednesday that fully justified the description’s hype. What made it work was the fact that beyond the New York group’s upfront concerns about homophobia, sexism and racism were a solid musical foundation and an irresistible sense of humor.

Their ability to transform such chestnuts as “At the Hop,” “Johnny Angel,” “Mr. Sandman” and “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun” into presentations that were simultaneously musical (their vocal harmonies were impeccable) and socially reconstructive (“Mr. Sandperson, bring us a dream . . .”) was superb.

Equally impressive were some of the individual voices. Michael Callan, one of the most visible, long-term AIDS survivors and author of the book “Surviving AIDS,” sang with an upper register that Joan Sutherland would surely envy. And Cliff Townsend’s rich bass provided a support for the upper chording that was almost instrumental in its timbral sturdiness and rhythmic power.

Aurelio Font’s dependable second tenor and Jon Arterton and Jimmy Rutland’s middle level voices were less dramatically noticeable, but each had affecting solo numbers--most notably the comic “Donde Esta Dolores?” for Font, “Homecoming Queen” for Rutland and the sweet lullaby “Everything Possible” for Arterton.

Best of all, the Flirtations performed without a whisper of guile or pretense. Upfront and honest, refusing to succumb to bathos or cheap sentiment, they delivered messages that reach well beyond the community they represent.

The Flirtations, whose appearance marks the initial music event in the month-old “Ecce Lesbo/Ecce Homo,” Highways’ fourth annual lesbian and gay performance festival, continue through Sunday.