POP MUSIC REVIEW : Young Guns Dominate ‘KIIS and Unite’ Concert

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

Of nine acts on the bill, only two--Toad the Wet Sprocket and Patty Smyth--have released more than two albums. Yet despite all the new blood, there was little in the way of surprises. The short sets (15 to 30 minutes each) generally were devoted to quick recitations of the hits and little more. (Organizers did well, however, to trim the bill from last year’s 16-act “KIIS and Unite” marathon.)

Mystically inclined rap duo P.M. Dawn was the only holdover from last year’s concert, when it performed to recorded backing. This time, the rappers brought along a huge cadre of live musicians--11 all told, including a DJ and three backup singers (all but two of the groups on Saturday’s bill had live bands; recorded support had been much more prevalent last year).

Live isn’t always better, though: On P.M. Dawn’s records, Prince Be’s delicate vocals float over a lush musical mix, creating one of the most distinctive sounds in hip-hop. Saturday, the 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” as well as such harder-hitting numbers as “Plastic,” a response to rappers who knock P.M. Dawn for being soft.

The highlight was the set’s opener, a driving cover of Prince’s “Anotherloverholenyohead,” a nod to the group’s most obvious influence.

Dance rhythms were in abundance throughout the 5 1/2-hour show; acts that deviated from the steady beat stood out as welcome variety. Toad the Wet Sprocket played a four-song acoustic set--not because “unplugged” concerts are all the rage now but because drummer Randy Guss had injured his leg in a softball accident a few days ago. The group played two hits off last year’s “Fear” album (“Walk On the Ocean” and “All I Want”) and two less commercial songs from the record, “Nightingale Song” and “Butterflies.” The stripped-down setting helped lend a bit of intimacy that was lacking through most of the evening.

Smyth was only real rocker. Her power-pop is, though hook-laden, fairly undistinguished. But the material benefited Saturday from her open, playful manner and showmanship. Smyth said the show was her first live gig in six years; if she was feeling rusty, she didn’t show it.

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Among the dance contingent, Neneh Cherry turned in the strongest set. Where others fell back too often on those slick, predictable rhythms, she displayed an edge. Her 1989 hit “Buffalo Stance” still sounds great and her latest hit--”Buddy X,” from last year’s “Homebrew” album--fared just as well. Cherry left after just three songs; she deserved a longer set.

Cuban heartthrob Jon Secada came on last and got one of the biggest responses. Opening with the hit “Just Another Day” and maintaining the groove with “Do You Really Want Me?,” the Miami Sound Machine alumnus showed that he knows his way around Latin-tinged dance rhythms.

An accomplished singer, Secada was equally at ease belting up-tempo numbers as he was caressing such ballads as “Angel,” and he proved himself to be an accomplished showman: Dressed all in leather, he knew how to push all the right buttons for his female admirers in the crowd. Still, like his booster Gloria Estefan, he remains more of an entertainer than an artist.

The most pleasant discovery of the evening was that Shai’s harmonies can sound as tight and rich live as they do on record. The quartet projected obvious star quality even though it was given time for only three songs (a mid-tempo soul-inflected dance number, a romantic ballad and the current hit “Comforter”).

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Saturday’s bill also included two of the latest teen dreams, much to the delight of the big contingent of screaming young girls in the audience.

Joey Lawrence, a star of the TV series “Blossom” who has managed to parlay his popularity into a budding music career, seemed an earnest and likable enough young performer (he just turned 17) whose affection for ‘70s soul and R&B; sometimes outstrips his vocal abilities. He can’t be faulted for trying, though, and he has had the sense to hire a top-notch band. His first hit, “Nothin’ That Love Can’t Fix,” is climbing the charts.

Jeremy Jordan, 19, appears to have no delusions about his place in the pop food chain. Singing to taped backup while dancing tightly choreographed steps with two men, he seemed content to stay in a strictly lightweight mode. Jordan’s first hit, “The Right Kind of Love,” was on the “Beverly Hills 90210” soundtrack and his debut album has just been released.

In the battle of the pretty-boy bubble gum stars, give one point to Jordan for pecs and abs, one point to Lawrence for hair and soulful gaze. The tiebreaker: Lawrence gets a nod for spending more time on the music than in the gym.

Boy Krazy, a female quartet, opened the concert to taped backup, singing instantly forgettable Madonna-inspired dance dreck. Only the lead singer appeared to be on a live mike; the backing vocals tended to fade out with the rest of the song. The group Portrait was scheduled to perform but did not.

Bands played on a revolving stage, which cut down on set-up time and kept things moving smoothly (events stayed on schedule almost to the minute). Between sets KIIS-FM disc jockeys maintained a nonstop barrage of audience-participation games while video cameras scanned the crowd and projected the faces of mortified teen-age girls on the big screen, an amusing touch.

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.