As soon as the lights went out, screaming ensued and the band kicked into “Beautiful Disaster” — but there was nothing disastrous about the beautiful show 311 put on Saturday night in Irvine. The Omaha band that for decades has blended cool rock, rap and reggae into the catchiest of songs returned this weekend to a familiar O.C. stomping ground, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, for the second of three Southern California stops on its annual Unity Tour, this year also featuring Sublime with Rome.
There was plenty of head-bobbing, moshing, jumping and everything in between Saturday night, thanks to lead vocalist Nick Hexum’s energy, SA Martinez’s rapping (though it was nice to get a break from that during the likes of “Amber” and “Beautiful Disaster”) and the rest of the band’s talents, all showcased throughout the set, including via an entertaining solo from drummer Chad Sexton.
“What we have here is a whole positive celebration!” Hexum said to cheers while dedicating “Down” to “all the old-school 311 fans in the house.”
There were plenty on hand, from moshers in the pit to devotees squeezed onto the lawn, and they took in a show packed with favorites. Among the more hardcore of songs was “Jackpot,” which brought out the intensity of the crowd, many of whom threw their hands up while screaming the title.
Not hearing “I’ll Be Here Awhile” or “Don’t Tread on Me” in the mix was a disappointment, but 311 outdid itself when the band joined Sexton in a brief but awesome drum session, banging large tom-toms in sync before Hexum tossed his sticks to two lucky fans and launched into “Come Original,” causing hands to go up in the air. Their set lasted nearly two hours, and while some made their way to the exits early (beating typically bad traffic out of Verizon), most stayed behind until the stage’s bright green, purple and at times red lights went dim.
http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2011/08/21/311-new-sublime-bring-positive-vibes-to-verizon/59501/
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