“Our being here is not against their cause,” Frankie Beverly said Saturday night, referring to the three dozen boycott supporters outside Soulfest 2002 at U.S. Bank Arena.

        The crowd of more than 5,000 roared its approval. They made their mixed feelings regarding the boycott and city government known when SoulFest promoter LaShawn Pettus Brown read a mayoral proclamation declaring Saturday Isley Brothers Day in Cincinnati. Every time he mentioned Mayor Charlie Luken, the audience loudly booed. The Isleys avoided further controversy by not personally accepting the proclamation or the key to the city.

        But those were just about the only references to boycott forces outside the arena. Once the crowd — a well-dressed group in their 30s-50s — made its way past the screaming protesters in their “Sellout Fest 2002” T-shirts, it was festival as usual, albeit a scaled-down, indoor version.

        The event was a substitute for the annual stadium soul festival, canceled by producer Joe Santangelo in the face of last year's riots and this year's boycott.

        SoulFest even ran the usual 7:30-12:30. But instead of non-stop music on two stages, SoulFest offered three old-school groups, plus lengthy set-up and tear-down times.

        Still, Mr. Pettus Brown fielded three fine choices.

        Lakeside opened the evening with its old-school '70s funk. The Dayton band, one of the many groups that followed in the wake of the Ohio Players, looked like a bunch of Frankie Beverlys, copying his trademark all-white outfit and white ball cap. But they got the party started with 45 minutes that included their biggest hit, “Fantastic Voyage,” later turned into a Grammy-winning rap by Coolio.

        The sole performing members of Cincinnati's first family of R&B, Ronald and Ernie Isley, followed. But instead of featuring their platinum 2001 CD, Eternal, the brothers and their group, including three singers and three dancers, did a festival set of old favorites.

        Packing a hit list that goes back to 1959, thy had their work cut out for them. With Ernie playing his dynamic Hendrix-style guitar and Ronald's sweet falsetto still clear as crystal, the Isleys were able to rock out on their early hits like “Shout” and “Twist and Shout,” as well as get funky with “It's Your Thing” and turn seductive with “Between the Sheets” and Ronald's masterful cover of Todd Rundgren's “Hello, It's Me.”

        They also touched on Eternal, doing the hit, “Contagious,” with Ronald in his old-school gangster persona, Mr. Biggs. But just as they said nothing of the boycott, Ronald avoided mentioning his collaborator on that song, disgraced R&B superstar R. Kelly, recently indicted on charges of having sex with a minor.

        After a 40-minute break, Mr. Beverly and Maze hit the stage and revived the crowd.

        Mr. Beverly has been the king of the annual soul festival, and he again showed why. Maze plays the smoothest brand of sophisticated soul anywhere. Mr. Beverly fronts the group with Bing Crosby's casual air and the easy sex appeal of Marvin Gaye — every man's friend, every woman's fantasy.

        Throw in a batch of great songs — “Happy Feelin's,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Back in Stride” and the Maze anthem, “Joy and Pain,” and you've got a real festival, even in an arena.

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