O.C. POP MUSIC REVIEW : Nevilles Rock Hard for Cafe Inauguration : A disparate crowd of 13,000 gets in a funk groove when New Orleans’ clan helps open new restaurant at Fashion Island.

Depending on who one asked, there were anywhere from 13,000 to 25,000 persons (we’d side with the lower figure) jammed into a section of Fashion Island’s parking lot to see New Orleans’ Neville Brothers inaugurate the mall’s new Hard Rock Cafe on Sunday afternoon. But if there’s some disagreement over the size of the crowd, it’s certain that the upscale shopping center has never had a greater infusion of funk.

There may only be enough hard-core (read: willing to buy a ticket) Nevilles fans in Orange County to comfortably fill the 475-seat Coach House, and the crowd for Sunday’s free show was a varied bunch, including curious shoppers, Rastas, a group of Christian bikers, kids looking for a party and some decidedly rich and healthy Newport types. Yet by the time the Nevilles were halfway through the 90-minute performance, they had that disparate bunch moving as one.

It seemed to take the group about that long to warm up, which is unusual for them--but then, this band doesn’t usually fly cross-country to play a shopping center. The show wasn’t one of their real roof-wreckers, yet even at idling speed, brothers Aaron, Art, Cyril, Charles and band members Willie Green on drums and Eric Struthers on guitar are just about the nation’s greatest groove-masters.

Expanding the party spirit of the day, L.A.’s Thelonious Monster turned in a short set that preceded the Nevilles’ appearance. Back in leader Bob Forrest’s wild days, punctuality was never the group’s strong point. In this event, though, they went on early and finished before they were scheduled to begin. The advertised “drop-in” guests of the day proved to be the Flying Elvises, the black-wigged, jeweled-jumpsuit parachute team that was featured in the flick “Honeymoon in Vegas.”

They also appeared before scheduled, as did the Nevilles, who went onstage at 4:30 p.m. although they’d been slated at 6. Fortunately, most people seemed to have turned out hours early. Late arrivals may have turned away when confronted by the near-gridlock in parking lot.

Aside from the shifted performance times, the production was skilled and smooth, with sound and lights by Orange’s Stonebridge Productions. Although admission was free, net proceeds from food sales were slated to go to the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa.

The group opened with a piece of its pre-history: “Africa,” a funk-laden tune from singer/keyboardist Art Neville’s old band, the Meters (singer/percussionist Cyril was also a member for a time). In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, that group was New Orleans’ answer to Booker T. & the MG’s. Like the MG’s, the Meters was a crack studio backing band that also turned out its own hits, which were a major influence on musicians from Robert Palmer to Bonnie Raitt.

The Meters also served as the proving ground for the Nevilles’ rhythmic sound, which is at once tough and propulsive and remarkably supple and varied, shot through with the relaxed but insistent backbeat that originated in the Crescent City.

Although it’s ideal to experience that sound in a packed, steamy New Orleans club for a 3 a.m. show, the Nevilles’ groove also travels well. Sunday, they built up steam with Sly Stone’s “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” and the slow churning Aaron tune “Voo Doo.”

As usual, Aaron’s high, angelic, melismatic voice was featured on his 1966 soul classic, “Tell It Like It Is,” as well as his recent hit cover of the 1972 Main Ingredient song “Everybody Plays the Fool.” There are occasions when his voice really takes flight on the former song, taking it to fresh places despite the thousands of times he’s approached the song before. This wasn’t one of those occasions, so it was merely wonderful.

It wasn’t until the 10th song, an unreleased tune possibly titled “It Might Be Superstitious,” that the group’s kettle began boiling over, with explosive solos from Green on his timbales and Cyril on his percussion kit. Green is easily one of the best drummers in popular music, keeping the beat with a vengeance while spicing it with a continual commentary of fills and cross-rhythms.

All the brothers are remarkable singers, except for Charles, who does his singing through his saxophone. Sometimes, such as on “Brother Jake,” they took turns on the verses, each spurring the other as relay runners might. For other songs, notably “On the Other Side of Paradise,” their fraternal throats blended in lush harmony, riding over the song’s earthier backbeat.

They closed their set by slamming one dance groove into another, with their “Indian medley” of “Big Chief” and “Iko Iko” running into a deep-groove reincarnation of Steve Miller’s “Fly Like An Eagle” and closing with “Let My People Go” from their current “Family Groove” album.

The encore picked up on that buoyant note, with the signature tune “Fiyo on the Bayou” followed by a rock ‘n’ roll medley of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” Larry Williams’ “Bony Moronie” and “Slow Down,” Buddy Holly’s “Oh, Boy!” and Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally.”

When other bands launch into familiar oldies, its often a sign they’re ready for the burnt-out county-fair circuit. In the Nevilles’ case, they kicked the songs alive in their own inimitable way. That’s a testament to the group’s resilience, considering that the oldest brother, Art, has been making music since before those songs first were hits.

The show closed, as most Nevilles shows do these days, with Aaron’s vocal benediction on “Amazing Grace” and an impassioned version of the Bob Marley/Curtis Mayfield medley “One Love/People Get Ready.” That was capped with a typically fiery rap from Cyril, echoing the Hard Rock’s “Save the Planet” theme, and shouting, “One world, one human race! God bless America, because we are America! We got four fresh years. Remember what Ross Perot said: Take your country back!”