HUMBLE PIE, the British rock group. Steve Marriott, second from right, led group in Saturday night concert at Spectrum.

Humble Pie’s farewell concert at the Spectrum on Saturday evening was an affair marked by both pleasant nostalgia and mind-easing relief. The pretty-much-standard rock’n’roll fare offered by the band could be looked at from two distinctly different points of view.

On one hand, the performance of the pioneering British rock band could be praised for its honest and straightforward presentation of simple, guitar based rock’n’roll. Leader Steve Marriott paced the four-piece unit through a tight set of Humble Pie classics, such as, “Stone Cold Fever,” “Rolling Stone,” and “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” Gutsy, full-bodied lead vocals by Marriott backed by tight harmonies by bassist Greg Ridley and guitarist Dave Clempson, along with good all around instrumental work, highlighted the group’s presentation. Spirit and camaraderie ran high as Marriott and crew tried to give the audience their money’s worth.

On the other hand however, the group’s approach and execution has not evolved or progressed since they first played Philadelphia at the Electric Factory in 1970.

In fact, their Saturday night set included material almost exclusively from their vintage 1970 and 1971 albums, with only one tune from the post-1971 period. Stale melodic and rhythmic themes were very evident as their set progressed. In addition, the now almost-ludicrous drum solos and overlong guitar breaks were inserted only to make the scene that much more blatantly archaic.

Fortunately, the group’s members seem to have realized that their particular medium is stale, and that it is time to call it quits and independently pursue new musical modes. In the overview, Humble Pie’s concert was a happy affair evoking fond memories of the past and hopes that future music produced by the group’s members will let Humble Pie rest in peace.

Preceding Humble Pie was the Who’s bassist John Entwistle and his band Ox. Still a member of the British supergroup, Entwistle has struck out on his own tour seemingly only to vent his own musical frustrations and excesses. While he is certainly an excellent bass player and an adequate vocalist, Entwistle’s attempt to lead a high-powered rock band is meager.