Destiny's Child and Eve rock the Jingle Bell Bash

It was a long haul of mixed voices Saturday at the fifth KISS-FM Jingle Bell Bash. There was as much range in vocal technique as there was in musical style, with power ballads, hip-hop, R&B, hard rock and alternative pop all having their say to a mostly teenage audience that loved every minute, good and bad.

At the top of the vocal range was Destiny's Child, who ended the seven-hour extravaganza with a slick stage show that featured serious grooves and serious moves from leading ladies Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

On the extreme downside was Kelly Osbourne, who really should heed the message of her latest flash-in-the-pan ditty, "Shut Up." Lineage and MTV may have made her a pop-culture icon, but they sure haven't made her a pop-music singer.

The famous Osbourne offspring wasn't the only one who had trouble with the high notes — and the low notes and the in-between notes. Solo Backstreet Boy Nick Carter wailed rather gruesomely off-key in a brief set that lurched from rockers to sappy ballads. He made up for a vocal capacity that couldn't be enhanced by studio tricks with the kind of histrionic poses that seem to be the only thing young fans need from their rock-star poster heroes.

Not to disappoint on that front, cute British sensation Daniel Bedingfield also had the requisite pointing, stretching or hugging-arm motions down pat as he zipped through 20 minutes of his greatest Top 40 hits. He actually carried his tunes quite well with nothing more than a DJ scratching beats and an acoustic guitarist for backup.

Another voice that sputtered loud and hard belonged to Avril Lavigne. The super-cool skater girl barely got through her mega hit "Sk8ter Boi" and a second number before she had to leave the stage with a claim of strep throat. What a disappointment for the huge assembly of young hipsters that had been waiting just for her.

As for the hard-rock contingent, Vancouver, B.C.'s Default carried the evening with an authentic alternative edge that sprang from real musicianship. Their hit "Wasting My Time" was a high point, and they even covered Led Zeppelin's classic "Heartbreaker."

Lifehouse made an equally strong impression in the opposite direction. Singer/guitarist Jason Wade's bland grunge-tenor croon fronted a sound like scores of other pre-packaged rock outfits (He, too, had trouble staying in key).

High-powered party-girl Eve set a flame to the lineup with a clutch of sharp hip-hop rhymes, backed only by a heavy beat and the force of her sexy sway. Polished diva Kylie Minogue brought her own eroticism in the form of delicious pop rhythms, spangled pants, a halter top and eight gyrating dancers, costumed for what could have been an S&M/disco revival of "Cabaret."

The marathon of truncated sets was fully redeemed when Destiny's Child stopped the show with high style, tightly choreographed production and genuine vocal chops.

Ted Fry: tedfry@earthlink.net.