On a night where the rest of Sydney was in a Tay Tay bubble, two '90s legends – Art Alexakis (Everclear) and Brendan B. Brown (Wheatus) – graced the Crowbar stage for one of the most genuine and intimate gigs I've been to.
The vibe of the night (23 February) was storytelling, as each artist gave an indepth background of how they came up with the inspiration for their famous singles and the songwriting process behind it.The evening kicked off with the Wheatus frontman chatting along to the crowd, telling stories of his humble beginnings and how he and Art often meet for ice cream dates!
It was when the infamous bucket hat and glasses came out (after being repurchased off eBay after leaving them behind in a hotel) that it signalled it was time for 'Teenage Dirtbag'. The crowd relived their teen days all over again, harmonising the vocal parts and having an all-round sing-along.
Brendan B. Brown - image © AH Imagery
When Art graced the stage, the classics kept coming teasing with 'Santa Monica', then rolling into hits from 1995's 'Sparkle And Fade' and 1997's 'So Much For The Afterglow': 'I Will Buy You A New Life, 'Heartspark Dollarsign', 'Father Of Mine', 'Sunflowers', 'Strawberry' and 'Wonderful'.
Then came the crowd participation with the roaming microphone selecting fans to request the songs they loved – the stories behind the requests were heartwarming and heartbreaking.
The room was chilled and filled with a sense of happiness. Everyone had a smile from ear to ear as they sang along to their teenage favourites as they reconnected with their teenage selves.
Art Alexakis - image © AH Imagery
The quick jabs here and there to Taylor Swift were quickly followed by Art praising her for where she is now after working so hard to get there. He is a humble, caring and unbelievably interesting man who wants to interact and listen to his fans.
As the last chords of 'Santa Monica' faded out, Art moved into the crowd taking fans by hand and speaking with them one by one. It was the most amazing interaction from an artist I've ever witnessed.
Art Alexakis - image © AH Imagery
Next year (2025) is the 30-year anniversary of the legendary Everclear album 'Sparkle And Fade' and Art assured us they will be back to celebrate and commiserate 30 years – where has that time gone!
- written by Amy Halpin
More photos from the concert.
