Everclear Concert Review and Photos
Everclear – The Bellwether – October 22, 2026
Everclear’s Los Angeles stop began, as many things do, with the Beastie Boys. Before the band hit the Bellwether’s stage, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" kicked in over the PA system, and the entire crowd of 1500 people went crazy singing along with every word. As the last notes faded, a black and white video started playing on the screen. In it, Rat Pack favorite Dean Martin sauntered around in a tuxedo while fake lips superimposed on his face said, “Welcome to the Lucky 7 Tour of 2026. Give it up for Everclear! Haha! We are going to play all seven of your top-rated requests tonight, plus all the hits and fan favorites. The first song we’re going to play is a spicy little love-ditty…the number one requested song, and she won’t even charge you tax, give it up for “You Make Me Feel Like a Whore”!
Everclear
Everclear first appeared on my radar with 1995’s Sparkle and Fade, and the ubiquitous lead single “Santa Monica”. I dug their sound, the lyrics were obviously heart-felt and important, and Art Alexakis’ voice jumped out of the speakers. A few years later, I was lucky enough to shoot two music videos from the 2000 album Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (“Wonderful” and “AM Radio”) that singer/guitarist/songwriter/band leader Art directed. I found him to be bright, kind, and exactly what you’d hope your music hero to be, and I’ve rooted for him and the band ever since.
This show on The Lucky 7 Tour had an interesting component hinted at in my opening paragraph. Prior to the start of the show, a QR code appeared on the large screen behind the drums that allowed you to vote for your favorite songs - the votes would be tabulated, and the top seven vote-getters would be played during the set. I somewhat question that the top pick among the 1500 in attendance was “You Make Me Feel Like a Whore”, but the set list was considerably different than their last show, so what do I know…
Art’s hard-hitting lyrics clearly draw from personal experience, and often delve deeply into heavy themes including addiction, child abandonment, and emotionally scarring relationships, frequently packaged in upbeat and bright sounding rock songs. The formula is undeniable, as Everclear has two platinum albums in the US (1997’s So Much for the Afterglow and 1995’s Sparkle and Fade), and has sold over 6 million records to go along with twelve top 40 hit singles.
Art is a recovery advocate, and announced on stage that he’d just reached his 37th year of sobriety: “Not “California” sober…none of that shit”. While not being preachy, he dedicated 1995’s “Strawberry” to those in the audience undergoing their own journey with sobriety, and talked about how the song came to him after he experienced a vivid nightmare about relapsing. Art also became passionate about multiple sclerosis and finding a cure, after he was diagnosed with MS following a 2019 traffic accident forced him to seek medical assistance, and an MRI for a pinched nerve revealed more than expected.
Also of note was Art’s wardrobe, which featured an ALTADENA STRONG shirt, a nod to the 2025 Eaton Fire that wiped out 9400 homes in the historic neighborhood where he lives. Somehow his house survived, despite most of his neighbors losing theirs. He dedicated “I Will Buy You a New Life” to his wife, who he said protected their house from looters while he was away on tour. While the title of the song suggests financial giving, that wasn’t the inspiration – in an interview with Songfacts, Art stated “But it wasn't about the money, it was about a different kind of life, giving all of yourself to another person. It's the ultimate romantic song to me.”
The show’s setlist was eclectic – five songs from the double-platinum So Much for the Afterglow and five from Sparkle and Fade, with lots of deep cuts thrown in, perhaps due to the crowd voting. In looking at setlists from other nights of the tour, there is a core component of songs that remain in the set, while others are there for one show and gone the next. There was a little bit for everyone on this night – enough of the huge hits were played for the casual fan, while the diehard fans were stoked to hear songs that might not have been played on previous tours. Art commented on the crowd in the only way he could “Everyone talks shit about LA audiences…but they obviously haven’t seen the crowd at an Everclear show!”, which was met with a roar from the audience. Everclear played a great show, and fans wandered off into the night at its conclusion with smiles on their faces.
Everclear are:
- Art Alexakis – Vocals/Guitar
- Davey French – Guitar
- Freddy Herrera – Bass
- Brian Nolan – Drums
Setlist:
1) You Make Me Feel Like a Whore
2) Everything to Everyone
3) Heroin Girl
4) Nehalem
5) Fire Maple Song
6) I Will Buy You a New Life
7) One Hit Wonder
8) California Kings
9) Strawberry
10) Father of Mine
11) American Girl
12) Wonderful
13) Brown Eyed Girl
14) Santa Monica
15) Molly's Lips
American Hi-Fi
I knew American Hi-Fi from their 2001 Bob Rock (Metallica, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi) produced hit “Flavor of the Weak”, and didn’t know what to expect when the hit the stage. I also didn’t know their unique origin story to becoming a band. Prior to their formation in 1998, vocalist Stacy Jones was the drummer to both Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo. In a 2017 interview with Rock Cellar, Jones said, “We were playing shows and hanging around with Foo Fighters, so I was watching Dave Grohl and thinking ‘I’m gonna give [being a frontman] a shot’.” The rest is history.
I wasn’t familiar with much of their catalogue, but it didn’t matter – they delivered song after song of pure pop-punk bliss and the crowd was enthusiastically along for the ride. At the mid-point of the show, someone used the break between songs to yell “Play “This is the Sound””! Stacy replied, “We should re-learn that song – thanks for saying that!”. He then added “Someone hit me up on the DMs about this song, so I guess we gotta play it…we were gonna play it anyway…” and then launched into “I’m a Fool” while the audience sang along with the chorus.
Thursday night was the perfect combination of bands and audience. People showed up early to catch both acts, and both American Hi-Fi and Everclear delivered blistering sets that gave the audience exactly what they wanted.
American Hi-Fi are:
- Stacy Jones – Vocals
- Jamie Arentzen – Guitar
- Drew Parsons – Bass
- Brian Nolan – Drums
Setlist:
1) Surround
2) Scar
3) The Breakup Song
4) A Bigger Mood
5) Safer on the Outside
6) Hi-Fi Killer
7) Another Perfect Day
8) Acetate
9) I'm a Fool
10) The Geeks Get the Girls
11) The Art of Losing
12) Flavor of the Weak
Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.
