Though it never rained a drop, the weather put a damper on the ending of Saturday’s Summerland Tour stop at Hop Springs Beer Park.
While the night ended earlier than expected, it started on a livelier and friendlier note when Wheatus took to the stage for its six-song setlist. Before each tune, lead singer Brendan Brown would share a story behind the meaning of the next track that the band was getting set to perform. As expected, the late 90s rockers closed out their set with their smash hit “Teenage Dirtbag,” which featured a singalong from the crowd on hand, as well as an emergence of a bowl cap for nostalgia’s sake.
One song into Living Colour’s set, the band was plagued with technical difficulties, which in hindsight was surely a warning sign for the remainder of the night. However, in true champion style, the adversity didn’t faze the socially conscious rockers who made their name in the mid-80s.“You know what? This is live music!” bassist Doug Wimbish exclaimed. “We’re going to play no matter what.”
Had the band not tattled on itself, fans wouldn’t have known that there were any issues, as they solidly performed their seven-song set. During the group’s finale, fans rose to their feet as it performed its 1988 smash hit “Cult of Personality.”
With lightning in the vicinity of the venue, Hoobastank was forced to rush their set. The early 2000s rockers performed a quick eight-song set filled with classic hits, including fan-favorite “The Reason.” Before performing the band’s smash hit, lead singer Doug Robb dedicated the tune to his road crew and toasted the Murfreesboro crowd to celebrate live music returning.“Raise your glasses for a toast to playing live music once again,” Robb stated late in the band’s performance. “Here’s a toast to three fantastic bands with fantastic members in them. Whoever told you not to meet your heroes, it does not apply to these bands. Here’s a toast to Wheatus, Living Colour, and Everclear.”
Following Hoobastank’s performance, venue organizers were forced to halt the show for nearly 45 minutes. With the wind still swirling, Everclear did take the stage but cut down their normal 12-song setlist to just what was expected to be a modest eight-tune performance.Even still, the alternative rockers, made famous for their 90s hits, weren’t able to finish out the night. With one tune remaining on their set, the wind once again picked up, and considerable lightning in the area forced Everclear to say goodnight early to the crowd on hand.
“I think this is the only show that I have never played Santa Monica,” said lead singer Art Alexakis after he and his bandmates weren’t able to perform Everclear’s most popular tune.
Even with the unexpected ending, Saturday’s show was nothing short of a celebration as bands and fans alike celebrated the return of live music. It was easily visible that being back on stage provided Alexakis with a sense of comfort and relief after revealing that he had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2016.
“I’m grateful,” Alexakis told the crowd before performing “I Will Buy You A New Life,” off of the band’s 1997 record “So Much For The Afterglow.”
The second half of the Summerland Tour resumes in September. The full list of tour dates can be seen here.EVERCLEAR
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