Toronto, ONT - Warehouse
July 23, 1997



Flawless, energetic show keeps fans moshing - Offspring Enjoy Their Punk

With their short and punchy punk anthems, The Offspring are custom fit for today's short attention spans.

But it was nice to see that their hyperactive audience had done their homework for the band's show at the Warehouse Wednesday.

Granted, the self-admittedly sarcastic Orange County, Ca., quartet's hokey entrance may have confused more than a few of the 2,200 sweaty fans who'd packed the room to the rafters.

Under a dramatic purple glow, flickering strobes and simulated gunfire, a lurid voice over encouraged "the kids" to "stage dive, get wasted, puke in the bathroom, get a beer and roll a fatty."

The anti-excess irony was lost on the crowd judging by the cheers.

But The Offspring -- apple pie-faced frontman Dexter Holland (real first name: Brian), spotted-haired guitarist Noodles, unsettlingly regular-looking bassist Greg K., and invisible drummer Ron Welty -- instantly connected with the crowd as they pogoed gleefully into a set of old favorites and new tracks from their fourth disc Ixnay On The Hombre. It rarely faltered from its high-octane course.

The kids, for their part, were singing along from the get-go.

The Offsrping seemed to have become more deliberately punk rock since their last Toronto visit at Varsity Stadium two years ago. Maybe it was the fresh haircuts.

The sound was better Wednesday, which isn't saying much.

And it's hard to say whether or not The Offspring are a musical one-trick pony.

Barring one worthy ska tune, their attempts to deviate from a potentially one-note performance with a couple of unremarkable rock numbers were dangerously crowd-numbing.

I Choose may have featured a conga player and a groove, but the band seemed to sense a bit of audience wear as they reclined for a minute-long "intermission" that featured pre-recorded lounge music, a bubble machine, and a guy in drag.

Crowd batteries recharged, they scored a direct hit with the rousing All I Want, a jingle for angst-ridden youths wresting control of their lives from "The Man" if there ever was one.

The Offspring proceeded to triumph with their ability to deliver flawless, fun punk rock.

That, and the 31-year-old Holland's knack for relating to people who are half his age.

It was easy to forget that he's technically qualified to teach the mosh pit molecular biology as he charged through Cool To Hate, the ripping Mota, and megahits from their 1994 album Smash -- Come Out And Play and Self-Esteem.

Holland also handled many of the lead guitar parts -- odd in light of the fact that six-string powerhouse Noodles got his name for his tendency to noodle on guitar.

While the audience gets much of the credit for staying with them, The Offspring did what great punk bands do: Took a little a long way.

Sun Rating 4 out of 5

By Kieran Grant, from "Toronto Sun" - July 25, 1997

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