 review other gig
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 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium May 7, 1997 Offspring Smash Their Way To Fan's Hearts At Palladium Success hasn't Dulled Orange County band's intense but accessible brand of punk What's a power punk band from Orange County supposed to do when it has sold over 8 million records? Jump ship from indie label Epitaph to worldwide powerhouse Columbia and do a followup album and tour, of course. In support of their latest release, "Ixnay on the Hombre," the Offspring showed off the resilient stage presence gained by touring constantly for their previous multiplatinum release, "Smash." The Offspring took to the Palladium stage Wednesday night, after openers L7, with the energy of G.I. Joe action heroes breaking into a Cobra compound in the dead of night. Starting with the driving, manic "Bad Habit," about a motorist being pushed over the edge, the Offspring, led by singer/songwriter Dexter Holland, took control over the mixed crowd of teenagers and adults with bravado and passion. Taking the best songs off "Smash" and "Ixnay On the Hombre," Holland and company delivered one combustible song after another in the one hour-plus show. The Offspring commanded the Palladium crowd with a confidence usually reserved for sovereignty. This confidence allowed the Offspring to rise above the lack of respect given to them by those in the music business and media.
Set to minimal lighting, Holland and the rest of the band commanded immediate attention by playing crowd favorites right alongside new tracks from "Ixnay on the Hombre." The Offspring put on a show that solidifies their standing as a contemporary punk band that does not fear to broach the intelligent and honest landscape most often attributed to another Orange County band, Bad Religion. The Offspring offer a more easily accessible inroad to songs about personal and societal expectations than Bad Religion and easily have the power and tenacity to get their message across without sounding preachy. After the first three songs, the Offspring really got into the flow of things by playing their hit single "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)," igniting a Palladium mosh pit. The band followed this with some of the stronger songs from "Ixnay on the Hombre" and a couple of intros to Black Sabbath and Guns 'N' Roses songs. An intermission followed, with Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra doing the spoken word from "Ixnay on the Hombre," which led into the "All I Want" single from the album. The highlights of the evening's tight set included a ferociously invasive version of the title track off of "Smash," which had the crowd bobbing and weaving, and the encore "Gone Away" from "Ixnay on the Hombre." "Gone Away" shows off the pop songwriting that Holland has mastered by capturing the feeling of losing a loved one without being cheesy. Holland's earnestness and passionate singing style made the song that much more intense. Drumming was another strong point for the quartet, with Ron Welty pounding and grooving to many mainstream rhythms that recalled punk or Jane's Addiction. On "Ixnay on the Hombre," the Offspring have loosened up their songs to let Welty's prowess on the drums become more apparent, and this was evident right from the start of the show. L7 had a strong opening set in support of their new album "Beauty Process Triple Platinum," which got the night underway by heating up the floor to right around 100 degrees. The all-female group played a tight set that met the audience's vociferous approval. For a band that's been around as long as these women have been, it was good to see fans reacting so positively to one of the last all-female punk bands around. As the opening leg of the new U.S. tour got underway, it seemed that the Offspring have come along way from their days as a punk band on the fringe. Now all that remains is avoiding overexposure of the new material from "Ixnay on the Hombre." By Michael Nazarinia, Daily Bruin Contributor - May 9, 1997 |
