Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
February 24, 1997



The Offspring

Love 'em or loathe 'em, you've got to admire the Offspring's energy level. Over the course of seventy-five sweat-soaked minutes, the California angst-core band twitched and flailed its way through twenty songs with all the intensity it could muster, inspiring a similar energy level in its fans.

Taking the stage with a hearty "Hey motherfuckers!" lead singer and Ph.D. candidate in microbiology Dexter Holland counted down to "Nitro (Youth Energy)," the first song from the band's 1994 breakthrough album, "Smash." Appropriately enough, it sent the audience into overdrive: Arms flailed and bodies flew as more than a few fans tried to make it onstage to pogo with Holland and his bandmates.

Though guitarist and resident Buddy Holly look-alike Noodles was a bit more reserved, the group enjoyed the crowd's show of solidarity, and Holland made it part of the show. "How come no one's been up here for the last two songs?" he whined midway through the set, apparently forgetting that even the kids have to catch their breath. The Offspring hardly gave them a chance to do that, though, following the opener with a high-octane "Self Esteem" and "Way Down the Line."

The performance wasn't a total smash, unfortunately, and it threatened to degenerate into by-the-numbers punk on the rare occasions when the band's energy did flag. A drum-heavy mix made that problem worse by taking the crisp edge off some of the group's best songs, sometime making it sound soggy. The band always bounced back from the edge of monotony, though, and "Gone Away," the first song of an all-too-brief encore, showcased its ability to make even cheesy AOR-style rockers sound convincing.

The Offspring closed with "Session," and most of the moshers (and nearly all of the moshed) retreated to the sidelines to lick their wounds as the band pounded out the song's final chords. Appropriately enough for these occasional Nirvana sound-alikes, the club by then reeked of teen spirit. That's the sweet smell of success for an Alternative Nation favorite like the Offspring, and Holland was visibly pleased as he waved goodnight to the exhausted crowd. The smile on his face suggested that, from the point of view of at least one professional punk, today's kids are all right.

From "Rolling Stone" magazine