Concert achieves the right MIX

"This is the biggest show we've ever had in our lives," exclaimed Rubyhorse's Dave Farrell in a soft Irish twang as his band stepped out on stage Saturday night to open MIX 98.5's MIXfest 2002.

And to say that MIXfest was big might be an understatement _ the concert was huge, bringing together an audience consisting mostly of overly-eager high-schoolers but also college students and even a few adults. The initial crowd at the FleetCenter was far smaller than it eventually became later in the evening, when the more notable acts like Avril Lavigne and Def Leppard took the stage. Nevertheless, the little-known local group Rubyhorse managed to successfully set the scene for the exciting six-hour sampling of the music from some of the greatest stars today that followed.

Rubyhorse, formed just four years ago, used its set not only to get their name known to the greater Boston community but to create the foundation for an indie film documenting the history of the band. Farrell jumped off the stage and raced through the crowd with a video camera, much to the delight of screaming fans.

But the band's energy, as well as the crowd's, seemed to dwindle by the set's finale. "You've got soul _ Boston's got soul," crooned Farrell, with the hopes of engaging the crowd to sing along. The band members succeeded somewhat with those sitting in the very front, but most people seemed to be losing interest.

The silence didn't last for long. By the time another hometown group, Tufts' very own Guster took the stage, the audience broke into screams and screeches even as the lights dimmed to signal the beginning of the set.

It's a shame that the crowd was still a bit on the small side when the group broke into the first strains of "What You Wish For." The trio made for one of the strongest acts of the concert, including in their set such familiar favorites as "Barrel of a Gun," and the requisite "Fa Fa."

It was clear that the group was truly excited to be part of such an eclectic concert. "I'm sweating just to be in the same building as Def Leppard," Ryan Miller exclaimed to the crowd when he disclosed that one of the first albums he ever bought as a kid was Def Leppard's Pyromaniac.

The only problem with Guster's set was that its brevity had the crowd begging for more _ but time restraints prevented the group from delivering. To quell the disappointment, Guster left the stage with promises that the group will be back in Boston soon _ and that they're looking forward to playing "for longer than 20 minutes," said Miller.

Disappointed fans quickly perked up again just 25 minutes later, when Avril Lavigne began her set with her catchy and fast-paced single "Sk8ter Boi." The yelps from the middle school and high school girls in the crowd were deafening.

"Here's a new one...I just wrote it the other day," joked Lavigne before breaking into the familiar introduction to her signature tuner "Complicated." It's a good thing so many teeny-boppers were singing along, because at times it seemed like Lavigne herself was perhaps a little overly excited, to the point where she was singing a bit too sharp.

David Gray's set provided a refreshing contrast, with his relaxed attitude and smooth vocals sailing through songs from White Ladder like "Please Forgive Me," "Sail Away," and "My Oh My."

John Mayer brought a little too much attitude to the stage, portraying the sentiment of "I'm a superstar and I know it." But he redeemed himself by floating through his amazing cache of hit tunes, including "Your Body Is A Wonderland" and "No Such Thing."

And thanks to Pink, the audience didn't even have to wait for Def Leppard to enjoy a nostalgic trip back to bubblegum '80s pop. The now-brunette included in her set a powerful cover of 4 Non Blonde's "What's Going On," which had the audience singing along and begging for more. Pink also paid tribute to one of her own musical heroes, the one and only Janis Joplin, by delivering a compilation of jazzy classics like George Gershwin's "Summertime."

Pink is an exciting performer who really knows how to put on a show. Decked out in a bright red halter-top and tight pants, she clearly commanded control of the stage and the audience without the snooty attitude of the average diva, and clearly had fun performing. It didn't matter that her set went on beyond her initially allotted five songs, because her inclusion of covers along with own "Get the Party Started" and "Mizzundastood" made for an exciting collection of music that had the crowd going wild.

MIX 98.5's claim to fame is playing "today's best variety," and the diversity of acts at MIXfest clearly helped the station to live up to its reputation. The concert's format insured that listeners would only be hearing the best of the best. Because each group was limited to five songs, the artists had to choose wisely to give the audience a proper sampling. And although six hours was a long time to spend at the FleetCenter, the concert still made for a fulfilling evening of entertainment