LOS ANGELES, CA- A strong blend of KROQ icons and newcomers anchored Audacy’s 33rd Almost Acoustic Christmas at the Kia Forum on Dec. 14. The consistently sold-out event, which supported youth education organizations Para Los Niños and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, boasted KROQ mainstays Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Sublime, 311, Jimmy Eat World, Franz Ferdinand, and AWOLNATION, with seismic performances by the new class of alternative rock with The Linda Lindas and bby. In an era of year-end streaming playlists, this iteration of the event felt among the most authentic recent curations of the iconic LA radio station’s past, present, and future. Bands like Sublime, who define the essence of KROQ, paired with other standouts of the era, making this year feel as at home as it did three decades ago.
With its rotating stage of marquee acts, the night was a nonstop party of danceable hits and muscular rock jams that catered to multiple generations of alternative rock fans. A notably cheerful crowd imbued the evening with holiday spirit.
bby kicked off the evening with a potent blend of exuberant melodies and downright shreddy musical chops. Hailing from east London, the group formed in a distinctly modern way, through Instagram. Building their fanbase through online “hangs” at their rehearsal space in London, bby has been one of indie rock’s best kept secrets across the pond. Their energetic performance at AAC was set to a backdrop similar to these hangs, showcasing their DIY aesthetic in addition to their raucous musicianship. Guitarists Jessy Jacquet-Cretides and Tommaso Medicae brought guitar wizardry, switching guitars live in the middle of one of their songs to each fire off fret-burning solos.
Fresh off of opening for the Rolling Stones at SoFi Stadium this summer, The Linda Lindas absolutely thundered through their set with a punk rock snarl. With all members taking turns on lead vocals, melodic bangers paired with high octane riffs wrapped in bravado that’s even more electric from an all-female band whose ages range from 14–20 (their Christmas break from school is off to a better start than most).
It was refreshing to see both opening acts display impressive facility with their instruments, proving the future of guitar-driven rock is in capable hands. Screaming riffs, rotating vocals, and palpable joy made The Linda Lindas an early standout and a tough act to follow, with AWOLNATION pulling that short straw. They would sail through a set of earworms and electronic grooves, with Aaron Bruno’s signature vocals toplining.
It’s been seven years since Franz Ferdinand last visited AAC, but their charismatic set of infectious dance grooves, led by frontman Alex Kapranos, felt like old friends picking up where they left off. With strong singles “Audacious” and “Night or Day” from their upcoming record The Human Fear, out Jan. 10, the Scottish quartet showed they haven’t missed a beat, catching the attention of a new generation. “Do You Want To” felt like a reimagined version of the classic, and the hopelessly danceable “Take Me Out” remains a crowd favorite.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR INTERVIEW WITH FRANZ FERDINAND!
Perennial KROQ favorites Jimmy Eat World are veterans of this show. There’s something about their songbook that has a distinct way of anchoring one to a time and place, and you could see scores of people of all ages belting out the melodies of “The Middle” and “The Sweetness.” Once again, their rendition of “Last Christmas” by Wham! wore like your best holiday sweater.
Following their stage-stealing AAC performance last year, 311 raised the bar even higher. Storming out with the riff-heavy “Beautiful Disaster,” heads banged and bodies swayed to their set’s original blend of rock, rap, funk, and reggae. Their cover of The Cure’s “Love Song” would once again be the sonic mistletoe for the throngs of blissfully buzzed couples. Like so many who take the KROQ stage, 311 is a band that owes much of its success to being championed by KROQ, and the sentiment is not lost on them. “From the first single, most recent single, almost everything in between, they are our biggest support system,” bassist P-Nut shared with us backstage. By the end of their set, the vibe in Forum was primed for the sun-drenched dub style of Sublime.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR INTERVIEW WITH 311!
With Jakob Nowell, the son of late frontman Bradley Nowell, on lead vocals and guitar, Sublime was easily the most natural choice for this event. Although Bradley passed in 1996, Sublime would go on to be an institution of the Southern California music scene, soundtracking the era on KROQ with a blend of punk, ska, surf and reggae that the capacity crowd at the Forum was all in for. From the crowd’s easy sway to the sticky cloud billowing overhead, this was easily the most SoCal set of the evening, with Jakob both establishing his own identity and comfortably filling the shoes of his father with his laid-back vocal style.
The ageless LA native Beck — “the coolest loser around,” as Roq Joq Kevin Klein introduced him — was the holiday gift that kept on giving. From the rousing opener of the radio staple “Loser” to the hilarious rendition of crooner “Debra,” (with an updated storyline of meeting a girl at the Glendale Galleria, buying a scented candle at Bed Bath and Beyond, and having “a nice meal” in Eagle Rock) Beck’s eclectic brilliance and ties to the city were on full display. Backed by his long-standing band, Beck’s performance was one of the best of the evening, hitting hard and soft without ever taking himself too seriously.
But the night’s crown would sit atop the heads of headliners Smashing Pumpkins. From huge KROQ hits “1979,” “Today,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” and “Tonite, Tonite” to deeper fan favorites like the bludgeoning “Jellybelly,” and the shoegaze-y “Mayonnaise,” the Pumpkins tore through their setlist with youthful vigor, showcasing virtuosity alongside enduring songcraft. Their energy and instrumental acrobatics capped off one of the more memorable AAC’s in recent years, and affirmed their relevance while also traversing their signature rock sound. “You know I’m not dead!” vocalist Billy Corgan would scream on “The Everlasting Gaze,” one of the heaviest offerings of the evening.
As this lineup of Smashing Pumpkins proved, they are as alive and vital as ever, conscious of the past while remaining completely future-forward.
As the final notes of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonite, Tonite” reverberated through the Kia Forum, it was clear that this year’s Almost Acoustic Christmas wasn’t just a concert — it was a celebration of the timeless spirit of alternative rock. For 33 years, this event has served as a barometer for KROQ’s enduring influence on the music scene, and 2024’s edition perfectly encapsulated its legacy while looking ahead to the genre’s vibrant future.
The night wasn’t just about nostalgia, though there was plenty of that to go around. It was a testament to the genre’s evolving nature and the unbroken thread connecting KROQ’s icons of yesteryear to the new wave of talent blazing trails today. Acts like The Linda Lindas and bby proved that the future of guitar-driven rock is in capable, dynamic hands, while veterans like Beck, Sublime, and Franz Ferdinand reminded us why their music continues to resonate with audiences across generations.
Almost Acoustic Christmas 2024 felt like a musical time capsule, where fans could revel in the past while embracing the future, all under one roof. The lineup, as eclectic as it was electric, showcased not only the enduring relevance of these artists but also KROQ’s unparalleled ability to curate a night of music that unites fans of all ages. This year’s event wasn’t just a nod to the station’s history — it was an affirmation of its place in music’s present and its promise for the future. Here’s to many more.
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