Review: The Offspring and friends

Save the absence of sand and surfboards, California punk band the Offspring headlined what might otherwise have been an ideal beach party Friday. The combination of balmy weather, holiday weekend ambience and bouncing beach balls created a nearly perfect evening at City Market.

Above: Dexter Holland of the Offspring. Photo by Shane Keyser/The Star

Most of the more than 6,000 fans didn't seem to mind that they couldn't take a dip in the ocean. The beach was evoked instead by The Offspring's surf guitar forays on furious songs like "The Kids Aren't Alright."

With four other bands on the bill, the concert might have resembled a six-hour punk rock blowout. Instead of serving as a Warped Tour tune-up, however, the atmosphere was akin to a rowdy high school reunion after-party.

Perhaps that's why at least a third of the audience left before The Offspring hit the stage. While the core members of The Offspring are well into their 40s, most of the people who'd purchased a $30 ticket looked as if they might be celebrating their fifth or 10th high school reunion. These 20t-somethings might not even remember early Offspring hits like "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" and "Come Out and Play."

The band's biggest years are behind it, but even after selling tens of millions of albums in the '90s The Offspring demonstrated that they're still relevant. The raw blues tinge given to "Hammerhead," a current radio hit on concert sponsor 96.5 The Buzz, made it one the night's best songs.

Front man Dexter Holland resembles the little brother of John Lydon/Johnny Rotten, with whom he shares a similarly obnoxious bray. That voice was the common thread between opening song "You're Gonna Go Far Kid" through set closer "Self Esteem." And while most songs by the Offspring follow a similarly blunt attack, they seemed determined to show off their range. Holland played piano on "Gone Away"- "don't make fun of me," he joked- and his raspy crooning on the power ballad "Kristy, Are You Doing OK?" induced a sincere sing-along.

The Offspring were solid but the night belonged to Taking Back Sunday. The band lost a key member in 2007 and their first album in over three years will be released next month. Yet it's clear that fans are sticking with the band. Taking Back Sunday rewarded loyalists with a set laced with powerful new material like "Sink Into Me."

Signature song "Cute Without The E (Cut From the Team)" was given a rootsier reading but retained its angst-flavored bubble gum appeal. "A Decade Under the Influence" and "MakeDamnSure" also resonated deeply with fans.

They lack Taking Back Sunday's crossover potential, but the Used were definitely the night's most interesting act. They offer a bracing mish-mash of metal and screamo and are fronted by the larger-than-life rock star persona of Bert McCracken. The response their deeply affectionate fans accorded "The Taste of Ink" made it the night's first big moment.

Neither Alkaline Trio nor Anberlin succeeded in eliciting similarly passionate responses. The former band was received with indifference while Anberlin's cheerful evocation of early U2 made them an odd fit for the bill.

The sound quality for all five bands, depending on where one stood,ranged from merely acceptable to remarkably good. The portable outdoor stage.will be employed again on June 13 for the next installment of Buzz Under the Stars. 311, Ziggy Marley and the Expendables are scheduled to perform.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[Sieg]

yeah, that is what I mean, they are almost "too good". We cant have my band mates, and I, looking/sounding bad, plus they alway wanna play that Nazi surf music, damn Nazis.

[indie snob]

whoa, this thread is awesome!

i am surprised that no one has mentioned the obvious: that all of these bands are absolutely awful. granted, i liked offspring when i was about 14, but they pale in comparison to the OC punk bands they imitated.

taking back sunday? anberlin? alkaline f'n trio??? hahaha. should have rounded out the bill with some promise ring or BROKENCYDE.

[aquaman]

hehehe - he snatches them with the hook and he reels them in...

[DurrrrrrWootEPIC]

uh ... if he snatches them with a hook, then there would be no need to use a reel. Damn, you really are just an ignorant lil douche.

[theboot]

using a hook, and a reel? lol, but what do we expect from this troll? he has never had an original thought. he contibutes nothing. he only replies with ignorance to others.

[scott]

More photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottspy/sets/72157618700473933/

[D]

the offspring suck, "pretty fly for a white guy" was the worst song ever and they'll never redeem themselves for that monstrosity

[Dexter]

WTF is up???? with douches pulling out threads from decades ago????

try to stay current.

btw
you are ignorant and unworthy to type or speak, but you knew that, and now so do we.

PS
"PF" was a joking song, which you are too ignorant to comprehend.