Written by Jessica Klausing
Dexter Holland (vocals), Greg K (bass guitarist), Kevin
“Noodles” Wasserman (lead guitarist) and Pete Parada (drums) brought a night of
chaotic endeavors to die hard punk fans at the sold out Hollywood Palladium.
As soon as the Huntington Beach rockers took stage, beer cups and clothes went flying in the air. The black and white fire skull logo
proudly illuminated the stage as the audience pounded and roared with
excitement while Noodles’ guitar wailed right into “Bad Habit.”
At one point,
the entire balcony was shaking. It was a wonder the whole thing didn’t
collapse. I know it is not unusual for
fans to go berserk at the start of a show. But, this was off the chain! I have
never been to a show where this much hype was bottled up in one room ready to
explode.
 |
| Greg K photo by Jessica Klausing |
Noodles seemed to enjoy all the chaos, thanking Hollywood for
“being a creative audience.” Noting that “chaos is where the creativity
develops.” He proceeded to comment how “Hollywood is gritty with such a great
mix of personalities and people.”
And gritty it was indeed.
You don’t get the full experience at an Offspring concert
unless you thrash around in an aggressive mosh pit covered in sweat and beer
screaming the chorus lines to the punk anthems like a patriotic warmonger.
The band launched into into their popular hits like “Pretty
Fly (For a White Guy)”, “Why Don’t You Get a Job” and my personal favorite,
“Come Out and Play,” from their 1994 platinum selling album, Smash.
Their 19 song setlist was a lot of fun, which included
material mostly from Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008), Conspiracy of One
(2000), Americana (1998), and Ixnay on the Hombre (1997). It was nice to see
that the band didn’t solely focus on their older lineup but showcased plenty of
their newer stuff in the mix. I prefer
an assortment when a band has such a huge musical catalog. Of course, it is
always great to hear the popular hits but refreshing to listen how the band has
progressed over the years. They have evolved more than just catchy lyrics to a
tighter production.
Holland took a moment to let everyone know how much the band
loves playing at the Palladium--noticing how it looked like everyone in the
audience knew the lyrics!
 |
| Photo by Jessica Klausing |
The audience was a diverse mix of old and young punk fans.
It was a satisfying experience seeing that the age barriers didn’t segregate
fans from the show. There was no rivalry only a unification of fans singing
their hearts out together. Its experiences like this that reminds me why I love
attending concerts. Music is the universal love that connects us all no matter
what walk of life we may come from.
After an hour of performing, the band had walked off stage
until the audience chanted for “one more song”, which of course, the band was
more than happy to oblige.
The band returned with an encore of “Want You Bad” and “Self
Esteem” The songs ended the show on a high note prompting a little crowd
surfing action.
The Offspring has been praised for bringing punk rock and pop
punk together. Despite being around for more than 30 years with most of their
mainstream success in the 90s, these guys prove that they’ve still got what it
takes to put on a damn good show!
Setlist:
Bad Habit
All I Want
Come Out and Play
Coming for You
Hammerhead
Genocide
Have You Ever
Staring at the Sun
Nitro (Youth Energy)
You’re Gonna Go Far
Kid
Gone Away
Gotta Get Away
Why Don’t You Get a
Job?
Americana
(Can’t Get My) Head
Around You
Pretty Fly (For a
White Guy)
The Kids Aren't
Alright
Encore:
Want You Bad
Self Esteem
No comments:
Post a Comment