POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Radio-Ready AIDS Benefit

Saturday’s “KIIS and Unite” AIDS benefit at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre offered a one-stop survey of current radio-friendly commercial pop, heavy on the newcomers.

Despite all the new blood, though, there was little in the way of surprises. The short sets, running 15 to 30 minutes, allowed a quick recitation of the hits and little more.

P.M. Dawn, the mystically inclined rap duo, brought along a huge cadre of live musicians, including a deejay and three back-up singers. Prince Be’s vocals were largely obliterated in a sludgy, bass-heavy mix that scuttled such ethereal hits as “Looking Through Patient Eyes” and the exquisite “I Would Die Without You.”

Dance rhythms were in abundance throughout, which made acts that deviated from the steady beat stand out as welcome variety. Toad the Wet Sprocket’s four-song acoustic set provided a bit of intimacy that was lacking for most of the evening. Patty Smyth’s anthemic power-pop, though hook-laden, is fairly undistinguished, but the material benefited from Smyth’s open, playful manner and showmanship.

Cuban-born heartthrob Jon Secada came on last and got one of the biggest responses of the night. The Miami Sound Machine alumnus was at ease belting the up-tempo numbers and caressing such ballads as “Angel,” and he showed himself to be an accomplished showman. Like his booster Gloria Estefan, however, he remains more of an entertainer than an artist.

Among the dance contingent, Neneh Cherry turned in the strongest set, displaying an edge where others were too often falling back on slick, predictable rhythms. The bill also included Shai, whose harmonies sounded as tight and rich live as they do on record, Joey Lawrence, from the TV series “Blossom,” Jeremy Jordan and Boy Krazy.

At the end of the night, organizers presented a check for $131,500, which they said had been raised through the concert and related activities, to Pediatric AIDS Services, a charity working to prevent the spread of AIDS from mothers to unborn children.