(August 25, 2018, Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, New York) – 311 and The Offspring brought their ‘Never-Ending Summer Tour’ to Jones Beach Theater last Saturday. The crowd took advantage of the perfect summer weather to get the party started long before the show began, with groups of fans camped out in the parking lot with elaborate tailgating setups. I even saw some playing beer pong.
The Offspring
Once the show got going, the Offspring, led by original members Dexter Holland on vocals, Noodles on lead guitar and Greg K on bass, really got the crowd’s hearts racing. With a minimalist all-black stage set, the band’s punk roots shone through. Their 17 song set covered their entire 30 million plus album career. It was great to hear their punk-inspired classics like “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated)” and “Gotta Get Away” from their 1994 (!) breakout hit album “Smash” and their later hits including “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” and “Why Don’t You Get a Job?”
A highlight of their set was their blistering cover of AC/DC’S “Whole Lotta Rosie.” I was right in the mosh pit and there were more than a few crowd surfers! I sure miss the ‘90s, what a fun time for music that was. The guys kept up the frantic pace on a hot stage until they turned it over to 311.
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As an aside, you may not know that Dexter is a real braniac. He earned a Masters Degree in molecular biology from the University of Southern California before he hit it big with “Smash”, and in 2017 he was awarded his PhD in molecular biology from USC. Well done Doctor Holland! And if that’s not impressive enough, he piloted his own jet around the world solo in 10 days and is a certified flight instructor!
The complete Offspring setlist was “Americana”, “All I Want”, “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated)”, “It Won’t Get Better”, “Want You Bad”, “Stuff Is Messed Up”, “Staring at the Sun”, “Whole Lotta Rosie” (AC/DC cover), “Bad Habit”, “Gotta Get Away”, “Gone Away” (piano version), “Why Don’t You Get a Job?”, “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”, “(Can’t Get My) Head Around You”, “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)”, “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and “Self Esteem”.
311
Keeping the ‘90s vibe going, 311 wasted no time in giving the crowd what they wanted, breaking into “Come Original.” The band’s unique mix of rock, reggae and funk had the crowd jumping and fist pumping throughout their set. Their hits “All Mixed Up”, “Amber”, “Love Song” and the closer “Down” were all crowd pleasers. 311 broke through in 1995 and has had the same 5 members ever since, with Nick Hexum on vocals and guitar, SA Martinez on vocals and turntables, Tim Mahoney on lead guitar, P-Nut Wills on bass and Chad Sexton on drums, and they looked and sounded great. The band members are all accomplished musicians and their set was tight.
Nick never stood still, jumping, running and reaching for the stars. P-Nut laid down a funky groove on bass throughout. Chad’s drum solo was a standout, as was his impressive drum kit, with the other members of the band joining him on various percussion instruments during his solo. The crowd reacted with great enthusiasm and there were more crowd surfers! The security guards were cool about it and everyone had a good time.
The complete 311 setlist was “Come Original”, “All Mixed Up”, “Do You Right”, “Lucky”, “Don’t Stay Home”, “Wildfire”, “Love Song” (Cure cover), “Beautiful Disaster”, “Beyond The Grey Sky”, “Applied Science”, “Flowing”, “Extension”, “You Wouldn’t Believe”, “Too Late”, “Amber”, “Feels So Good”, “Creatures” and “Down”.
Jones Beach Theater is one of my favorite concert venues and the bands always seem to step up their game. Check it out when you can.
THE OFFSPRING
311
– Michael Waters
You may like to see more music reviews on Fountain Of 30 from Michael Waters, such as Dickey Betts Headlines The 2018 Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchouge, NY.
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Photos: Michael Waters