|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
SUPERCHARGED
Live at Kia Forum
September 5, 2025 Review by Jimmy Alvarez
Supercharged was the name of the tour landing at the Kia Forum. Never before had a tour been so aptly named as The Offspring delivered an opus with a little help of some friends.
The crowed was amped for three bands that have all been a part of our musical journey over the past three decades. Set to play were New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, and the headliner, The Offspring.
It didn’t take long for the Forum to fill and it was such an eclectic assortment of ages, their attire indicative of which era they were representing. This crowd was extremely animated, but I’ll get more into that later.
Up first was Florida power-punk rockers New Found Glory. As soon as the band took the stage, their fans made themselves known, and they were sizeable. Immediately, Jordan Pundik took control of the stage and the crowd loved it.
Opening with “Understatement,” the band looked and sounded great. Even the fans sitting behind me commented on how good they looked. Being they were openers, we all knew this would be an abbreviated set and the band made the most of it.
Delivering on “All Downhill From Here,” it was like a stroll down memory lane. I was amazed by how much of the crowd knew all the words – it wasn’t just “Hit or Miss,” “100%,” or “Failure’s Not Flattering” that kept the crowd on their feet; it was the pure energy the entire band put out.
As Pundik thanked the crowd for coming out, the Forum erupted as they all knew the end of the set was near. NFG jumped into “Intro” and closed with “My Friends Over You.” And as quickly as they came out, New Found Glory had electrified the crowd, proving they were the perfect opener for this show.
The two guys sitting next to me were also amped for this show. Ivan Zuno was a local dude – from L.A. – and he said that had been a kick-ass opening. The two ladies sitting behind me were funny; it was like a stand-up routine they had going on. The two commented that they had expected some old-ass punkers to come out and try to sing. In all fairness they said, they were pleasantly surprised how amazing NFG looked and sounded, just like they did back in the day.
Turns out I would have a few more inciteful chats with the duo – Jill King from Veeps, a Live Nation company, and her friend Lauren Mintzer, another Hollywood producer type – and they couldn’t wait for Jimmy Eat World.
It didn’t take long for the road crew to get the stage ready for Jimmy Eat World. The lights dimmed, and out came the band, and once Jim Adkins got behind the mic, the crowd went bananas.
Stepping up to the mic in his traditional black outfit, Adkins also looked great. Opening with “Pain” and “Just Tonight,” these Arizona wranglers sounded as electric as I have ever heard them.
The Forum was now filled to the brim with souls, and Adkins thanked them for coming and The Offspring for having them on the tour. With that unmistakable wink and smile, off they went on a string of songs that lit up the Forum, “Let It Happen,” “Work,” “Futures,” and “Lucky Denver Mint” rocked the crowd.
The next set really brought the crowd to life; “Bleed American,” “Big Casino,” and “Something Loud,” did the trick. But the closing tunes truly made the crowd go bonkers; “A Praise Chorus” and “Sweetness” had Ivan Zuno dancing. The closer was “The Middle,” which made the girls behind me lose their minds.
As the band exited, I turned to the girls and asked what they thought. Both gave Mr. Adkins an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Then, we all noticed a small blimp flying in the arena. Obviously it was The Offspring blimp!
It flew all over the arena and then the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right to Party” engulfed the Forum. What happened over the next 15 minutes was as funny as any between set entertainment I have seen.
The video screen had animated skeletons cheering everyone on to partake. It was the Coldplay Kiss Cam at first, and then it dove into the “Booty Cam” – L.A. is definitely the place for that one – as the camera captured a few people who may get paid to do that. Then, the funniest of all, The “F You Cam” and EVERYONE took part in that. Before you knew it, it was time!
The lights came down, and the beat let us know it was time for The Offspring to “Come Out and Play.”
I have seen this band many times, but I have to say, Dexter looked like a kid, his voice was strong and Noodles was energized.
As they do, there was great banter between the two and soon they went hard into “All I Want.”
Dexter thanked everyone and Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory for coming out to play and then the keys took over, as if we were in a church. The sound of organ music and “Want You Bad” began and everyone, and I mean everyone, was on their feet dancing and singing along to every word as a mosh grew larger and larger on the floor.
Their set had a little bit of everything; newer songs off “Supercharged,” and some Offspring classics. “Looking Out for #1,” “Staring at the Sun,” then “Original Prankster” and “Hammerhead,” were samplings of the eclectic nature of the set list.
Everyone loved their latest, “Make It Alright,” followed by “Bad Habit,” and it went into another direction with “Paranoid / Crazy Train.” We even got a Ramones cover of “I Wanna Be Sedated.”
“Gotta Get Away” was followed by “Gone Away” and a cool drum solo. Other highlights that also were best captured by that kick-ass video program included “Why Don’t You Get a Job,” “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” and closed with “The Kids Aren’t Alright.
In the end, the crowd went crazy over each song the band delivered, and the band looked so happy to be onstage celebrating this tour. With a standing O, it didn’t take long for the guys to come back out.
They closed with two more fan favorites, “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid,” then “Self Esteem.”
It truly was a night full of wows. As for Ivan, Jill, and Lauren, all three were very happy at the end of the night. It was another great night of music in the city of Angels.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Green-Eyed Blonde Photography
<<Swipe To View Photo Gallery>>
TO FOLLOW
SID 250904 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
