KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas became a institution in Southern California that listeners waited all year for, often leading to speculation about who would play in the weeks leading up to each year’s announcement. And yet, what had become a tradition for 30 years went silent after 2019 due to COVID and a shakeup in both on-air and off-air personnel at the station.
Followers assumed that we had seen the last of the iconic music festival, so fans were excited when KROQ announced its return last year. Monday, they announced that the Almost Acoustic Christmas would be returning again this December to the Kia Forum.
Likely the most popular band in KROQ history, both in fandom and airplay, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be headlining this year’s Almost Acoustic Christmas.
The boys have been busy on a worldwide tour in support of last year’s, “Return of the Dream Canteen.” They are slated to play South America in just a few weeks, before returning once again to the Kia Forum.
KROQ has had a great relationship with Orange County’s own The Offspring. The band owes a great deal of their success to the massive airplay they’ve received over the years, starting off of course with “Smash,” and the hit singles, “Come Out and Play” “Want You Bad,” and “Self-Esteem.”
They’ve done sponsored concerts, secret shows, and even surprise guest slots with KROQ. The band is coming off of two hot sets at this weekend’s When We Were Young Festival.
Keeping with the ’90s alternative bands, the always-wonderful Garbage is also playing. I saw Garbage when they were touring behind their debut album, and they were phenomenal live. I just saw them last year at the Forum and they still look and sound terrific.
Lead singer Shirley Manson is surely no stranger to playing the occasional KROQ music festival.
It’s been a decade since Portugal. The Man has played Almost Acoustic Christmas so one would say they are long overdue.
The band just released their latest effort, “Chris Black Changed My Life” this past June.
On the contrary, this will be Bleachers’ first appearance. The New Jersey pop rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Jack Antonoff has been teasing new music lately, having just released the lead single ”Modern Girl” last month.
The Almost Acoustic Christmas has always been about headlining some of the biggest alternative bands in music, while showcasing up and coming artists. KROQ has continued that tradition with four indie rock artists.
The show will kick off with performances by Los Angeles’s own Cannons, Lovejoy out of England, Bakar, a singer-songwriter out of London, and The Beaches, a Canadian rock band out of Toronto.
Tickets go on sale Friday, November 3rd at noon through Ticketmaster. Proceeds benefit Para Los Ninos and the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center.
