LOS ANGELES, CA- KROQ held its 32nd annual Almost Acoustic Christmas at the Kia Forum on Dec. 9, bringing a steady stream of energetic performances from acts like Bleachers, Portugal. The Man, Garbage and The Offspring, who moved into the main slot when original headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers had to pull out — a shakeup that seems to be part of this concert’s tradition.
RHCP canceled because guitarist John Frusciante broke a finger, as singer Anthony Kiedis explained in a sing-song mea culpa video played on the Forum screens, but Kiedis told the crowd their tickets would be good for a “re-do” gig in March. In the meantime, longtime KROQ orbiters 311 jumped into the lineup as “substitute teacher,” as one KROQ DJ put it, and ended up being a stellar addition to what could have been a more anemic lineup compared to past iterations.
Familiar was the revolving stage, a wonder of production that gives each band 30 minutes to bring all their bangers with no lag time between acts. Also familiar is the lineup that blends tastemaking artists with legacy acts and station staples. Missing, in what may simply be a sign of the times, is the allure of surprise guests, the two-day format offering a diversity of artists, and the buzzy scene of celebrities, artists, models and the like that would make this one of the de facto holiday music parties in LA.
But it’s also a testament to KROQ’s enduring legacy that this event sells out year after year, continuing to support two local organizations dedicated to youth education — Para Los Niños and Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center — as well as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In partnership with Kia America, KROQ station owner Audacy presented St. Jude with a check for $87,552 onstage during the festivities.
In addition to giving back, Almost Acoustic gives attendees a place to discover some incredible new acts, and also to hear the bands who long ago jetted into the stratosphere come back to play for a station they all say is largely responsible for getting them there.
Such is the case for Canadian rock group The Beaches, who kicked off the evening by setting a high bar for performances. Bringing the heat early with lead singer Jordan Miller’s raucous stage performance, the band’s propulsive brand of rock made a splash and proved they’re ones to watch. Bakar and Lovejoy would soon follow, while Cannons would round out the early acts. As a frontwoman, Michelle Joy is as charismatic as she is fashionable. Having sold out the Greek Theatre earlier this year, the indie-pop trio look poised to continue their rise.
Perhaps the most danceable moments of the evening came by way of Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers. The New Jersey clan simply make it impossible to have a bad time with a high-octane mix of infectious hooks, evocative lyrics and a blow-the-roof-off energy, fueled by enough saxophones to make the E Street Band proud (they did play “Chinatown,” a song they recorded with Springsteen). Antonoff had the blissfully boozy audience in the palm of his hand, bouncing around the stage and playing hits such as “Modern Girl” and “I Wanna Get Better,” joined by his dad Rick on acoustic guitar for a while.
Rebels just for kicks, Portugal. The Man tore through their set with all the earworms to help feel it still. The Grammy winners are a reliably good time, and great people, too, known for their activism and philanthropy.
KROQ staples Garbage, who first played the event in 1995 with a lineup that would likely cost you a kidney to see in today’s market, opened their set with “Vow.” It’s a searing track off their self-titled album, which spawned several chart topping hits and found heavy rotation at KROQ. Always a style icon, the inimitable Shirley Manson roamed the stage in a kilt and Doc Martens, laying down powerful hooks and commanding the attention of the room. When an incident broke out in the audience she stopped their whole performance, unafraid to use a string of expletives to sharply reprimand those involved for pulling this at a Christmas show, for putting more pain into an already hurting world and for cutting into the band’s allotted 30 minutes, to boot.
“Is anyone hurt? Is everyone OK? I want my girls to know they’re OK,” Manson said to crowd cheers. “And I also want my boys to know they’re OK.”
The band recovered like the pros they are, only to discover that their sound had cut out. Manson bought time by riffing about lighter things, appreciating the people around them and shouting out a kid attending his very first rock show that night. Back in action, they moved on to “#1 Crush” and wrapped with crowd favorites “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Push It.” Despite the setbacks, Garbage sounds today just as genre bending as they did in 1995, and a newer generation is better off for it. Watch for new music coming out sometime next year.
Even though 311 stepped in on short notice, they nearly stole the show, taking the baton from Garbage and keeping the spirit of KROQ’s most vital era alive. Time has cemented 311 as one of the most original acts of the last three decades with their danceable fusion of rock, funk, hip hop, reggae and all-around positive energy. From the opening chugs of “Beautiful Disaster” to the breezy vibe of “Amber,” Nick Hexum and Co. brought more than just nostalgia, pairing expert musicianship with every color of energy. Their set was perhaps the best of the night, setting the bar for headliners The Offspring.
From the opening chords of “Come Out and Play,” the crowd was at their most frenzied, eating up hit after hit from the SoCal skate punk band. Love them or hate them, they are absolutely essential to the KROQ story, and having played this show many times before knew exactly how to elate the audience. Hearing more than ten thousand people screaming the profanity-laced breakdown of road-rage anthem “Bad Habit,” you got a sense of the deep connection the band has not just to their fans, but to the sound of Southern California punk and beyond. This year’s Acoustic Christmas is really the gift that keeps on giving, stretching into March with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ make-up show. Don’t be Scrooge, Bono.
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