You know you’re probably getting old when you head out to check out a band you caught 20 years earlier for the first time, but as expected Everclear were just as good as they were at the Thebby back in 1998.
Bursting onto the music scene at the start of the 90’s Grunge scene, Everclear developed their own unique sound that featured grungy, overdriven guitars, but with more harmonious, coherent vocals. The guys were in full swing at The Gov on Thursday night (apart from some minor mixing problems at the start), and gained momentum quickly as they launched into side one of the ‘So Much For The Afterglow‘ Album. Looking dapper in black skinny suits and ties, the lineup consisting of Art Alexakis (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Freddy Herrera (Bass), Dave French (Guitar), and Jake Margolis (Drums), are tight as a fishes ass and deliver each song brilliantly.
After finishing side one of Afterglow which ended with One Hit Wonder, we were treated to some of ‘Sparkle and Fade‘ with classics such as Heroin Girl, Strawberry, and Heartspark Dollarsign before Alexakis dove back into the remainder of ‘Afterglow’ and some ‘World of Noise‘. It was a touching moment to hear him dedicate Why I Don’t Believe In God to his mother, and to the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park who recently took his own life.
An interesting bit of trivia- the last song on the album, Like A California King, was actually written by Alexakis when the band were touring Adelaide and had to do a soundcheck- so there you go!
The final song in the lineup was Santa Monica, the well known classic with the unmistakeable opening riff which, like most of Everclear’s songs, tells a bit of Art Alexakis’ story and the experiences he’s dealt with in life.
When I interviewed him in August leading up to the tour, (Here) there was a worldiness about him which I couldn’t help but admire, whilst feeling for him at the same time. If you do some research into his life, it hasn’t been an easy ride but he’s a real survivor, and a great guy to talk with.
It was a great show overall, and call me biased, but it was a nice bit of nostalgia from the best era in music- the 90’s. Everclear have a final show in Melbourne on Thursday night, so don’t miss out on a night of cranking tunes by an awesome band.
By Dazz Hassan
Final show
Thursday 5th October 2017- Croxton Band Room, Melbourne www.oztix.com.au
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