O.C. POP MUSIC REVIEW : Boys Fight for Right to Grow Up : The Beasties seem uncomfortable in attempt to shed bratty image.

When the Beastie Boys hit the top of the charts in 1986 with their teen anthem, “Fight for Your Right (to Party),” who would have thought that in a few short years they might be fighting for their right not to party?

Those attending the Boys’ 85-minute show Monday at Irvine Meadows saw a young band undergoing the uncomfortable process of trying to grow up in public. Gone were the caged dancing girls, giant beer can and inflatable X-rated prop from the notorious 1987-88 “Licensed to Ill” tour.

The 24-song set didn’t even include “Fight for Your Right.” And except for a brief bit of whipped-cream spraying at the end of the show, the Boys even refrained from their trademark bratty antics (these are guys who used to spit beer at the crowd).

Clearly, they are attempting a transition from snotty-nosed brats to serious musicians. The Beasties began to show signs of such aspiration with their follow-up album to “Licensed to Ill,” 1989’s “Paul’s Boutique,” where they attempted to move beyond sheer humor and attitude and to explore different musical textures. The exploration continues with the group’s current release, “Check Your Head.” On several cuts, the three young rappers even play musical instruments.

Monday’s show turned out to be a rather awkward collage of the Beastie Boys’ changing faces as they moved back and forth between their various incarnations as rappers, punk rockers and funky musicians.

They started out with such classic irreverent rap numbers as “Rhythm & Stealin’ ” from “Licensed to Ill.” Then King Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) picked up his guitar, MCA (Adam Younch) grabbed his bass and, with Mike D (Mike Diamond) handling the vocals, they segued into a couple of lightning- fast punk rock numbers without missing a beat.

The energy level took a tumble when the Beasties tried to settle into a funky groove for songs like “Lighten Up” from “Check Your Head.” They tended to turn these relatively mellow numbers into extended musical jams (Mike D even got behind the drum kit), and the effect was rather like jam night at the local club--it probably was a whole lot more fun for the musicians than for the audience.

With their bratty attitude toned down, the Beastie Boys were only minimally entertaining. King Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D jumped around like popping corn but offered no other visual stimulation. The set was bare and lighting effects were limited to a few different colored swirls. Musically, the Beasties have a long way to go before they can carry a show primarily with sound.

The audience mostly entertained itself, rapping along to the familiar numbers and seeming to know the lyrics almost as well as the Beasties did. Folks swayed and slammed together in the pit in front of the stage. In many ways, the real stars of the show were the old punk mainstays, the stage divers who made it up onto the stage and then hurled themselves into the waiting arms of their fellows in the pit. With all the fun the crowd was having, the Beastie Boys were almost irrelevant.

The female hard rock band L7, preceding the Beasties on stage, made untheatricality a definite virtue. With a complete lack of pretension, L7 slammed out an impressive hard-rocking 35-minute set. Guitarists Suzi Gardner and Donita Sparks and bassist Jennifer Finch took turns with the lead vocals while Dee Plakas pounded her drum kit, and the throbbing, visceral musical attack was punctuated by lively stage presence. Finch whirled in the air like a crazed banshee while Sparks twisted, turned and rolled around, and L7 climaxed its set in the fine old rock tradition of smashing its instruments.

House of Pain, a rap group, was the sacrificial opening act. Their debut album, “Fine Malt Lyrics,” is certainly one of the catchiest albums to be made in the rap style, but the group’s 15-minute set hardly lived up to the album’s promise.

Rappers Brik “Everlast” Schrody and “Danny Boy” O’Connor did their best to ignite the crowd while deejay Lethal DiMant spun the sounds, but the threesome wasn’t able to lock into the album’s irresistible groove. Even the hook-filled single “Jump Around” sounded flat.