Kickin' It At The Gorge -- Two Shows Feature Some Of R&B's Hottest Names

----------------------------------------------------------------- Concert previews

Boyz II Men, TLC and Montell Jordan, 7 p.m. Sunday (sold out); and KUBE 93's Summer Jam 95 with Brandy, Skee-Lo, Monica, Brownstone, Shaggy, MoKenStef, Bloodhound Gang and U.N.V., 2 p.m. Monday, Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Grant County; $23.40, 628-0888; camping hotline: (509) 785-2267. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Gorge has got it goin' on.

The hottest acts in rap, hip hop and R&B will be over east of the mountains Sunday and Monday, in what's sure to be a nonstop party. Many fans will probably camp out overnight and catch both shows.

It all starts Sunday with the hottest vocal act in the business, Boyz II Men, who already packed the Tacoma Dome in March. The smooth quartet from Philly presents an elaborate extravaganza with special effects and several costume changes, along with lots of great music, including all their hits - from "Motownphilly," "End of the Road" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" to "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee." In addition to their sweet harmonizing, all four members get to do solo turns.

TLC - made up of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes and Rozonda "Chili" Thomas (TLC comes from the first letter of their nicknames) - is almost as big as the Boyz, thanks to the five-times-platinum "Crazysexycool," the trio's second album. Much more mature than the first, "Ooooooohhh . . . On the TLC Tip," the new disc represents a more thoughtful outlook and a wider musical palette, weaving elements of jazz, pop and rap into their new jill swing.

On top of the charts

The disc's latest single, "Waterfalls," a beautiful and moving ballad about a mother's anguish over her wayward son (who ends up with AIDS), has been No. 1 for five weeks. Its imaginative video, with the group literally walking on water, was just nominated for 10 MTV Video Music Awards. Their next single will be "Diggin' On You," a Babyface-written ballad about lovers spending a day in the park. It should work beautifully at the Gorge.

Montell Jordan is a towering (6-foot-8) singer with a beautiful, mellow voice, which he uses to create positive images of his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. His breakthrough hit, "This Is How We Do It," a fun-loving song about partying, shot to No. 1 early this year, and is still a radio favorite.

KUBE 93 did a great job putting together its Summer Jam this year. Almost every act on the bill has a hot hit single. Monica, who at 14 is pop's latest teen sensation, is second only to TLC on the charts with the sassy "Don't Take It Personal," in which she informs her boyfriend that he does not control her.

Her debut album, "Miss Thang," includes some surprisingly frank songs for one so young, but her voice belies her age. She sounds much more mature, with an assured, knowing style.

She's often compared to Brandy, the talented 16-year-old who tops the bill. Brandy also sounds older than her years, as heard on the slow, sensuous "Baby" and the kicking "I Wanna Be Down." Her current Top 40 hit is a charming tribute to sibling love, "Best Friend."

Other up-and-comers

Shaggy has scored a rare reggae hit (currently No. 5) with "Bombastic," a joyous celebration of lovemaking, with a little humor thrown in. He also has fun with the Mungo Jerry classic, "Summertime." Both have colorful videos filmed in his native Jamaica.

MoKenStef (Mo, Kenya and Stefanie) shot to the top of the charts with its very first single, the saucy "He's Mine," a sort of musical catfight, with two women fighting over a man. The trio's debut album, "Azz Izz," is hot stuff, with blunt songs about sex, including "Just Be Gentle" and "Laidback."

Skee-Lo's breakthrough hit is "I Wish," an unusual rap song because it's about vulnerability rather than machismo. It's funny, too, and quite clever. Only 20, and also from South Central, he has a bright future.

Brownstone also has an unusual hit (it's No. 63, but rising fast) with "I Can't Tell You Why," the Eagles classic, done with an R&B twist. A little further down the chart, at 65, is "So In Love With You," a romantic ballad from U.N.V., which scored earlier with "Something's Goin' On."