As the echoes of Yellowcard’s final song and hit anthem “Ocean Avenue” reverberated through the sold out Honda Center in Anaheim during the 7th annual iHeartRadio and ALT 98.7/FM ALTer Ego fest on Saturday night, a surge of nostalgia pulsated through the crowd.
“It’s not everyday we get to feel young again,” Yellowcard vocalist-guitarist Ryan Key said as he exited the stage following the band’s mighty turn. “After all this time of not making music, you guys brought us back to life.”
And this wasn’t a sentiment exclusive to Yellowcard (a band that went on hiatus in 2018) on this particular evening. The predominantly millennial-aged crowd found themselves transported back to the days of being in their teens and early 20s, immersed in the emo and rock scene of the late ’90s and early ’00s. Adorned in a sea of Doc Martens, vintage band tees and all-black attire, the fans eagerly embraced the musical time traveling journey.
This edition of ALT’s festival featured bands that played a poignant role in the music of that specific time period including Bush, Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy, Sum 41, The Black Keys, Thirty Seconds to Mars and fresher acts like Lovelytheband, The Last Dinner Party and The 1975.
The Black Keys kicked off the night, showcasing the fests strategic move of bringing in a top artist as an opener to pack the venue early. The blues rockers delivered a short and sweet set, playing classics like “Howlin’ For You,” “Tighten Up,” “Gold on the Ceiling” and “Lonely Boy.” The duo debuted its latest song, too, “Beautiful People (Stay High),” a track set to be on the duo’s forthcoming record, due out later this year.
Yellowcard powered through a high dose of pop-punk hits, kicking its set off with “Way Away” and “Lights and Sounds.” In between songs, Key took several moments to express sincere gratitude, acknowledging the band’s prolonged absence and uncertainty about having an awaiting audience. To his surprise, the response exceeded expectations. The band, having embarked on its biggest tour to date last year to celebrate 20 years of the iconic record “Ocean Avenue,” ensured to include the fan favorite off the record, “Only One.”
Fans were also treated to a few guest surprises. Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park casually walked on stage to bring on Sum 41.
“This night is one of the last times you may ever see this band, so please be ready,” Shinoda said.
Taking those words to heart, the crowd took advantage and went hard during the set. Singer Deryck Whibley revealed his ability to command a crowd, and the infectious stage presence was evident throughout the 20-minute set. Whibley created numerous moments for banter with the band, checking in with the crowd on how they felt and if they were “punk enough for the next song.” They were, of course, as Sum 41 rolled through “In Too Deep” “The Hell Song,” “Still Waiting” and “Fat Lip.”
Grunge-rock band Bush also had a surprise and brought out Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains to play along during “Comedown.” The energy was high, with fans screaming nearly as loud as the music was blasting. It served as another powerful dose of mid-’90s nostalgia with frontman Gavin Rossdale running around the floor seats while performing. Rossdale made sure the arena was treated to “Everything Zen,” “Machinehead,” “More Than Machines,” “Nowhere to Go but Everywhere” and “Glycerine.”
British indie-pop stars The 1975 were also welcomed with a warm embrace, as many millennials in the crowd knew almost every word to their brief and enjoyable set. Despite the band’s yearlong tour, they radiated energy, with lead singer Matt Healy vigorously navigating the stage with a cigarette in hand and a flask of his drink of choice as he belted out “Robbers.” The set was mixed with some old and new tracks, flipping through “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know),” “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You),” “Somebody Else” and “About You.”
The evening concluded with Fall Out Boy, which stepped in last minute to replace Paramore, who dropped out a week before the show. Though fans were obviously bummed out, the quartet made up for the loss with a power-packed set filled with all the early hits.
Kicking off with “Love From the Other Side” and “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” it provided fans with another opportunity to relive their emo teenage days. Mike Shinoda returned to the stage to join Fall Out Boy for “Dance, Dance,” which brought everyone to their feet to dance and sing along. Fall Out Boy closed its set with a confetti finish as they blasted through “Thnks fr th Mmrs” and “Centuries.”
iHeartRadio/ALT 98.7 ALTer Ego Fest
When: Saturday, Jan. 13
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim
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