WEEKEND REVIEWS : Pop and Jazz : An Intense, Dark ‘Bar-B-Q Mitzvah’

The “Bar-B-Q Mitzvah Tour,” starring the Butthole Surfers and Stone Temple Pilots, is sort of a scaled-down, no-frills version of “Lollapalooza.” At Castaic Lake on Friday, though, it seemed in some ways like a 1968 Acid Test with a mosh pit--the Surfers’ closing set was as psychedelic as anyone who ever played the Fillmore, yet as up-to-date as interactive TV.

But the dark intensity of the music and, unfortunately, several incidents of violence in the audience, swept away any hint of a hippie peace-and-love vibe.

Before the Surfers went on stage, promoters warned the gathering of about 5,000 that future use of the lakeside setting for rock events could be in jeopardy in light of several broken legs due to the roughhousing in the pit and from stage diving, severe injuries from illegal fireworks set off in the crowd and a report of an attempted sexual assault.

While the trouble was caused by only a handful of people in an otherwise well-behaved crowd, there was an undeniable restless and underlying violent nature to the co-headliners’ sets.

With Gibby Haynes sputtering convoluted lyrics and Paul Leary choking classic fuzz-toned lines from his guitar, the Surfers’ music was often like Quicksilver Messenger Service as interpreted by Ministry, the mood leaned to the latter.

Haynes--angered after an object thrown from the audience chipped his tooth and apparently taking the tour name too seriously--concluded the show with a scary-looking on-stage fire ritual before a more traditional safe-and-sane fireworks display lit up the sky.

Stone Temple Pilots frontman Weiland even more embodied the frustrations of youth, looking Friday like the bratty marionette from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” come to life. The hit San Diego quartet’s music plays off that, with straightforward metal crunch propelling an alternative attitude.

The band did little to break out of its Son of Pearl Jam image, but the confident performance made future growth seem a given.

The evening was also noteworthy for the eclectic range of acts, with the inventively twisted funk group Basehead and veteran San Pedro post-punk leaders Firehose each displaying distinctive, hard-to-categorize styles.