H.O.R.D.E. Is Their Shepherd

Observing this year's first two dates, at St. Louis' Riverport Amphitheater and Indianapolis' Deer Creek Music Center, provides a wealth of evidence for accusations of nostalgia: The overwhelmingly white, post-puberty, pre-bachelor's-degree crowd is an arm-waving sea of tie-dye and patchouli. Devoid of nihilism, irony, and attitude — no anguishing Trent Reznors or shrieking Courtney Loves to suffer here — it is a crowd that greets extended solos with whoops of joy. Moshing? Never heard of it. Errant Hacky Sacks are the closest one would come to physical danger.

Ironically, the scene also provides music that's becoming even more alternative than what Lollapalooza offers: ''Alternative has now become so mainstream that mainstream is alternative,'' Popper says of the tour's ''the alternative to the alternative'' motto. ''It's not Top 40,'' Indianapolis concertgoer Kerry Antonuccio, 21, says of H.O.R.D.E.'s music. ''Those are the kind of people we don't want here.''

A more telling explanation for the Woodstock-era flavor of the H.O.R.D.E. scene is the near absence of media involvement and hype. Thirty years ago that was a moot point; rock was still too culturally marginalized to warrant a corporate infrastructure. But to succeed today using grass-roots methods is to realize a more substantial, enduring sort of triumph. Popper sees the quiet, organic ascendance of the tour and his group as preferable to, say, the intense spotlight that was focused on grunge, rock's Last Big Thing. ''Look at Seattle,'' he says. ''This was all going on while Seattle was supposedly exploding, and all the [media attention] killed that music scene.'' Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt concurs: ''Maybe people are looking for another way to enjoy a band than what's being spit out of the machine. We're getting back to the real thing.''

Just don't call it a trend. ''You media people are f---ed,'' barks Popper. ''You always want a thing going on. The fact of the matter is, it's not a very exciting story. To say that this is a movement sweeping the nation is inaccurate. But the media has to go off on its spin 'cause the media needs to generate money. The music, on the other hand, needs to generate honesty. It's great when the two work together, but it never lasts because money and honesty don't mix.'' And in the case of Blues Traveler's success? ''We happen to be a really good live band that's also doing well on the charts,'' says the singer. ''But it ain't gonna last. So we're gonna have to go with the honesty, 'cause money runs out.''