Jewel a little lost in Riverbend-size arena

It was a show for new-age hippies Friday night as Riverbend hosted a sparse, mellow audience for the jam-band meanderings of Rusted Root and the pop musings of Jewel Kilcher.

The audience was an intriguing mix of neo-hippie Root fans, teeny-bopper Jewel followers and red-blooded men attracted to Jewel's dreamy music and sensuous looks.

The show opened with Rusted Root, the Pittsburgh-based band that has built a Grateful-Dead-style following based on its extended, eloquent jam feel.

The audience was unaware that this tour may be the band's swan song: According to reports from Pittsburgh, the group has decided to break up after the tour.

If there was any friction in the band, however, it wasn't apparent. Rusted Root played a solid set hindered only by the usual jam-band problem of not knowing when to end a song.

If there was a star of the night, it was Steve Poltz, who played an acoustic set after Rusted Root. The San Diego singer-songwriter lived with Jewel for two years before she became famous, and the two co-wrote her biggest hits - ''Who Will Save Your Soul?'' and ''You Were Meant for Me.''

Poltz, who also plays guitar in Jewel's band, provided the night's comic relief with a clever set of inventive, fun songs that included such tunes as ''Why Are You Going Out With the Guy From Gold's Gym?'' and a goofy tribute song to the ''Star Wars'' movies.

Then Jewel took the stage with her powerful, if girlish, voice. She has practically assumed the role of the Linda Ronstadt of the '90s, with a vocal style that both rocks and drips with intimacy.

Jewel's empathic, sensitive singing was refreshing and poignant as she went through such hits as ''Pieces of You,'' ''Who Will Save Your Soul?'' and ''Hands'' (from her new album, ''Spirit'').

The 25-year-old's tender singing and light pop fare are almost too sweet for a rock show, however.

Jewel's biggest problem is translating her folk-based pop sounds to an arena crowd of this size. As tasty as her set was, it still seemed a show meant for a smaller club.

Her stage style is to wink, nod and toss her hair, and she stayed in her '90s Earth mother role by reading the crowd a poem from her book ''A Night Without Armor.''

Through it all, the huge video screen almost saved the show, picking up her subtle nuances.

While she closed the set wailing and rocking out on several songs, Jewel still seems a few years away from being a rock 'n' roll diva who can truly captivate the big crowds.

Publication date: 08-07-99