Benefit skews a bit younger this year

In its previous 11 years, the annual Gimme Shelter benefit concert has been a holiday highlight, showcasing both emerging and established music talent in a loose, warm format while raising money for worthy causes. But while in most years it skews to adult audiences, Thursday’s 12th edition at the Roxy was notable for the number of pre-drinking-age attendees.

Both headliner Pete Yorn and the band Phantom Planet, two of whose members gave a stripped-down set, have built a young following. And the Like, itself a trio of teenage girls, drew a healthy number of friends.

It was also these young fans who gave the most concerted attention to all of the performers, from opener Alexi Murdoch, whose ethereal, Nick Drake-influenced songs would not necessarily figure to be big on youth appeal, right on down the lineup.

Lisa Loeb charmed with her disarming chats, including tips on making latkes for Hanukkah. She also gave a timely reminder about caring for those in need, accenting the work of the show’s beneficiaries -- the Venice-based St. Joseph Center, which offers social services for the needy, and the New West Charter Middle School.

Phantom Planet’s singer-guitarist Alex Greenwald and bassist Sam Farrar were engaging with personably ragged versions of their power-pop. Yorn got his set off to a rollicking start with the late Mississippi blues shaker Junior Kimbrough’s “I Feel Good Again,” taking a winningly unvarnished approach that continued through his own songs.

In its songs and in the presence of leader Z Berg, the Like showed sophistication well beyond the members’ years. Mellowdrone offered enticing, wide-ranging pop-rock, but leader Jonathan Bates might have been better served by losing his elaborate electronic tracks. Abba Roland’s folk/new-wave acoustic set also impressed.