The Offspring Ooze Nostalgia at Sold Out LA Show

The Offspring play to a sold out crowd at The Belasco in LA 2/23. (Photo: Nikki Phillips)

Legendary SoCal rockers, The Offspring, rocked a sold out concert at The Belasco in downtown Los Angeles Friday night. Call it a semi-homecoming, as the band originally hails from the OC’s Garden Grove — not too far from LA. Fans lined up around the block even in the rain, hoping to snag a great spot on the floor to view the show. Tons of fellow musicians lined the balcony above, reminiscing with us as we shouted every word through the 16-song set.

Vocalist Dexter Holland sounded like we just pressed play on Americana in our Sony Walkman, rounded out by a flawless instrumental performance from fellow bandmates. Kicking off with “Come Out and Play,” the band sent the audience into an immediate uproar. The majority of the setlist was composed of tracks from Americana and Smash, throwing us into the ultimate blast from the past. The icing on the cake for us was the superb rendition of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” — a song often covered, but not always mastered. Easily a 10/10 for the night, especially when the final 6 songs were chart-topping singles we’ve all grown up with and love to this day.

With KROQ on the scene and other fun perks like a keepsake print photobooth, the night was full of sentimental excitement. Strangers became friends. Parents bonded with their kids. We all sang, jumped and danced together. A full house endured flash flood warnings and torrential downpours — and was worth every moment. The Offspring will be touring Europe this spring and summer, be sure to check out dates here. You can also catch them at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas on October 21st and 22nd.

Check out our gallery below for some tidal waves of nostalgia: