Ska Bans Highlight Music of the Moment. . .After Beck Steals the First KROQ Show

The spirit of giving was abundant throughout the first of KROQ’s two “Almost Acoustic Christmas” concerts Friday night, as 12 of alternative rock’s hottest stars bestowed brief, hit-laden sets upon a capacity Universal Amphitheatre crowd. In the casual, all-for-fun setting of this eighth annual event, almost every act offered at least one likable tune, but enduring talent was a commodity even rarer than acoustic guitars.

Thus, last-minute addition Beck handily stole the show, turning in a typically electrifying 35-minute performance. One of four acts added to balance eleventh-hour cancellations by the Verve and Jamiroquai, he kicked off with a butt-shaking “Devils Haircut” and peaked with an impossibly rambling jam on “Where It’s At.” You had to feel sorry for Sarah McLachlan, whose mild-mannered folk rock seemed even limper in the wake of Beck’s offhand tour de force.

Another late addition, Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, displayed intensity and dramatic flair during 30 minutes of gothic cabaret rock, his first new songs since emerging from rehab. Weiland, who had debuted the songs last month at a local benefit concert, was just as much at ease in front of this larger audience, spicing up the proceedings with a welcome dash of the bizarre.

His dark vignettes, limned by Daniel Lanois’ spooky guitar licks and Lili Haydn’s shrill violin, left a dreamlike impression, like the vaguely disturbing feeling that follows you out of a nightmare. Dressed for the occasion in leopard-print pants, lots of eye makeup and a black, marabou-feather-trimmed sheer crop-top, the singer evoked Bryan Ferry in appearance, while the eccentric songs recalled the more circus-like aspects of Jane’s Addiction’s vintage freakouts.

The show-closing set by Jane’s Addiction itself, however, was neither as compelling as Weiland’s nor as focused and dynamic as the group’s recent reunion shows. Perhaps feeling the effects of that tour, the band meandered through a sprawling 45-minute performance that included a lackluster “Jane Says.” Still, frontman Perry Farrell deserved best costume for his shiny red pants and T-shirt, crowned by Christmas lights and tinsel woven through the gnarled braids in his hair.

The entire show ran like clockwork, thanks to a strict schedule and the revolving stage, which was flanked by two large video screens and festooned with suburban-style holiday decor. Goodwill and seasonal cheer were plentiful, even though only two acts--Fiona Apple and No Doubt--played Christmas songs, and a member of English “anarchist collective” popsters Chumbawamba did good-naturedly quip, “We don’t believe in Jesus.” After Chumbawamba, the Sneaker Pimps, the only act to play for less than its allotted time, offered Hanukkah wishes along with 15 minutes of languid electronic pop.

With Rancid and No Doubt also coming on board at the last minute, the bill ended up a little heavy on punk and ska varietals. The grinding, kitsch-flecked stun-gun pop of Smash Mouth was practically slick compared to San Diego-based “stoopid” punk trio Blink 182, whose young members unleashed a torrent of cliched scatological jokes in their efforts to convince the audience that they didn’t care about being the runts of the lineup litter. The photogenic Matchbox 20 seemed at first to be torchbearers for grunge, but ultimately the group’s driving pop had more in common with the overblown, self-absorbed rock of Counting Crows.

Curiously, although No Doubt was indisputably the biggest fish in the evening’s punk pool, the most striking thing about the sextet’s crowd-pleasing set was the naked man dancing jubilantly onstage. The music’s ska-pop bounce was energetic, and singer Gwen Stefani athletically prowled the stage, inciting fans with her enthusiastic yelping, but the songs remained surprisingly bland.