The Bears came out of a 13-year hibernation Saturday night, as the all-star local band sold out the Southgate House for an evening of melodic, state-of-the-art, pop-rock.

        Greater Cincinnati's own Fab Four — Adrian Belew, Rob Fetters, Bob Nyswonger and Chris Arduser — proved the timeless appeal and endless possibilities of rock's venerable “two guitars, bass and drums” equation.

        Touring in support of their new CD, Car Caught Fire, the band played a 100-minute show that featured almost all of that disc, together with songs from the Bears' two late-'80s albums, plus a cover from Mr. Belew's other band, King Crimson's crunchy prog-rocker “Red.”

        Some of Mr. Belew's fans go back to his teen-aged years with Northern Kentucky's premier Beatles cover band the Denems. The other three Bears have been mainstays of the local scene for more than 20 years. Together, they drew a crowd of rock fans from their 20s to their 50s.

        The dozens of musicians among them got a lesson in what makes a truly great band. All four Bears are masterful musicians, but instead of empty virtuosity, they use their skills in service of the songs.

        And what songs. There was “Dave,” Mr. Fetters' poignant portrait of a friend's suicide. He also wrote the catchiest new tune, “Under the Volcano.”

        Mr. Arduser contributed the dark folk-rocker, “What's the Good of Knowing” and acoustic “Little Blue River.”

        From Mr. Nyswonger came the classic, “Trust,” as well as the new “Caveman.”

        Mr. Belew provided his song about the Denems in the Beatle-esque “117 Valley Drive.”

        They played together like the life-long friends that they are. Mr. Fetters and Mr. Belew, sporting matching garish ties and mile-wide grins, harmonized like a post-modern Everly Brothers, entwining guitar leads as if separated at birth.

        With a mixture of goofiness and rock-star confidence, the four Bears had an even better time than their very happy audience.

        This was a band at the peak of its abilities, armed with an arsenal of superb songs, playing them with a freshness and sense of fun that was contagious. If there was any justice in pop music, these guys would be filling arenas and topping the Billboard charts.

        When they played their final encore, the Bears' first single and national near-hit, “Fear is Never Boring,” the place erupted into wild dancing and air guitar. Rock 'n' roll doesn't get any better.

        Brian Lovely opened with 35 minutes of tuneful, well-crafted pop that sounded like a hometown Elvis Costello. But he really got the crowd's attention when he scatted along with his acoustic guitar.

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