Lenny Kravitz

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

Soul-rocker Kravitz put on a sharp, smart show last week at the Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford, Conn. Leading sing-alongs of numbers like Let Love Rule and churning out pulsating renditions of such hits as Fly Away, Kravitz deftly blended '70s rock, '70s soul and late-'90s cool. Fans kept standing even during the slow songs. But while the talented Kravitz was victorious, his main opening act, Smash Mouth, mounted a mushy set that mixed pop, punk and ska and created the musical equivalent of the stew of food particles you scoop out of the drain after you've washed the dishes.

--By Christopher John Farley