REVIEW: Summerland tour features Everclear, Live, Filter, Sponge

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — At the recent Summerland tour stop in New Brusnwick, N.J., the crowd was able to travel back to the middle of the 1990s, a time period when alternative guitars blasted on the radio, the memory of Kurt Cobain’s influential career was still fresh in everyone’s mind and everything music-wise seemed on the precipice of explosion.

Bands like Everclear, Live, Filter and Sponge played to enormous crowds, racking up hit songs — all in the era when consumers used to buy actual CDs and not selected songs on iTunes. Well, Summerland not only takes its audience members back two decades, but it basks in the time period. I salute their dedication to such a nebulous time period.

Everclear’s Art Alexakis, the father of Summerland, has amassed a formidable lineup for the tour’s sophomore effort (Mark McGrath’s Sugar Ray split with Summerland after the inaugural year; they’re heading out with less-heavy bands on the Under the Sun tour). Everlcear headlines the three-hour show, but no act feels like an opener. There is ample time for the audience to reach back into each performer’s respective catalog and enjoy some head-bobbing action.

Sponge, headed by Vinnie Dombrowski, started things at 7:30 p.m. with a quick, 25-minute set that included the band’s most popular tunes, “Plowed” and “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)”. Both sounded near-perfect under the spirited command of Dombrowski’s on-stage presence. He sings the songs at an amplified high, enjoying the spotlight, twirling his microphone cord in continuous circles. The highlight of the set had to be “Rotting Piñata,” the superb title track from the band’s first album. Although it didn’t have the sing-a-long addiction of “Molly” or “Plowed,” it showcased the band’s tight sound and Dombrowski’s seemingly unchanged voice.

Sponge is touring in support of a new album called Stop the Bleeding. One can only hope they take the autumn season to travel the United States and headline some smaller-venue shows. Digging deeper into their work (and listening for more than 25 minutes) would be much appreciated.

Filter, headed by Richard Patrick and Jonny Radtke, is the heaviest band in the lineup. The vocals are bracingly screeched by Patrick, and instantly the audience wonders how he doesn’t lose his voice by the end of the set. Radtke, who joined the band a couple of years ago and co-wrote Filter’s new album with Patrick, is a silent stage presence, but no less effective than Patrick and his assaulting singing.

Filter, singing “Hey Man Nice Shot” and some tracks off the new album The Sun Comes Out Tonight, offered a bombastic 30-minute set. Patrick left the stage more than once to enthuse the growing crowd. He walked to the back of the State Theatre in New Brunswick to check on the people in the cheap seats, and he also straddled a chair, mosh-pit style, leading the congregation in industrial prayer.

A highlight: “We Hate It When You Get What You Want,” off the new album.

Live, with a new lead singer but the same sound, rocked through most of their hits, often with the audience singing and fist-pumping along. The sound took a little time to catch up with the lyrics, and the lead singer’s microphone never quite worked with the amplification, but there was no doubt that the set list featured perhaps the most recognizable hits of the 1990s. Does anyone not know every word to “Lightning Crashes”? A few more concerts and this band may eclipse any memory of the old lineup (cue for diehards to completely disagree).

Everclear finished the show with a 45-minute, hit-heavy set that featured “Santa Monica” and “Father of Mine,” among several others. Alexakis, who played MC for the night, took center stage and offered a relaxed, yet skillful series of songs. He has an undeniable likability, both as singer and host. He seems to genuinely care about the audience (only 15 minutes between sets, thank you!), plus he has no problem giving the people what they want. He experimented with some deep tracks, to be sure, but he played Everclear music the way we all fell in love with it in the 1990s.

The entire vibe of the night is nostalgic joviality. Many of the bands meet fans in the lobby to sign autographs, and duets/cross-band numbers are enjoyed by all.

Summerland has now made a firm statement as one of the strongest festivals/tours of the summer season. The first tour was varied, yet energetic. This year’s tour is much more focused, even more energetic and probably the direction that Alexakis wants to head in. Kudos to the bands for stripping away 20 years.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

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