The Offspring are Supercharged in Minnesota

The Offspring came into Minneapolis, Minnesota and ignited the crowd with a deep catalog of hits that kept the crowd singing the entire night. They one again proved why they were one of the  most important bands that help carry the punk rock sound into the mainstream. They also proved with the 2024 release ‘Supercharged’ that they are no where near ready to call it quits. Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory were support acts on the bill.

 

 

 

The Offspring are in the midst of of the ‘Supercharged Worldwide ’25 Tour’ and the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota would welcome the tour for a night of high octane pop punk energy. Originally formed in Garden Grove, California in 1984 under the name Manic Subsidal, The Offspring were one of the pioneers in the punk movement into the mainstream in the mid 1990’s and still continues to pack venues decades later.  In direct support were Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory. 

 

 

 

From the moment New Found Glory hit the stage you could feel the sheer energy they had. Singer Jordan Pundik never stopped moving while constantly urging the crowd to match their energy. Opening with “Understatement” and then “All Downhill From Here” the band ripped through a short eight-song set that was way too short  with a catalog as big as they have. Not to be outdone by the singer, bassist Ian Grushka was also all over the stage during the set as was guitarist Chad Gilbert. Drummer Cyrus Bolooki was fun to watch and he also, perhaps, had one of the most famous drummers on board his kit, as Animal, from the muppets, sat on the left side of the drums. During the song “Hit or Miss” Pundik hopped off the stage and ran through the pit which was a really fun moment and the fans really had a good time with that.  The set ended with “My Friends Over You” and the whirlwind show was over. I’m ready for a full headline set from these guys.

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Eat World formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona and in 2001 the band broke through and exploded on the scene with the album ‘Bleed American.’ There was no mystery from the crowd who they were when they took the stage as the arena shot to life and let the band know they were ready as soon as the lights dropped. Opening up with the song “Pain” and then into “Just Tonight…” it was clear the fans were completely engaged with the band. The band featured lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind. Robin Vining also is about as a touring a musicians playing keyboards, rhythm guitar, percussion and also providing backing vocals. They played a set of twelves songs with the height of the show, for me, was that title track to “Bleed American.” This was the first time I’ve seen this band and that was the song that got me into them and it didn’t disappoint. They sounded fantastic, the songs were tight and vocally Adkins was spot on. To no surprise, they ended the set with three monster hits from that iconic album as “A Praise Chorus,” “ Sweetness” and “The Middle” left the crowd satisfied. I’m not sure there wasn’t anybody rocking out to those songs. 

 

 

 

When a countdown on the massive screen being used a backdrop started, the crowd went nuts. When The Offspring hit the stage and cranked into the massive hit “Come Out and Play” the entire venue exploded. Vocalist and guitarist Dexter Holland hit the stage determined to ignite the crowd from the opening note and along with guitarist Noodles, that is exactly what they did. The setlist encompassed the bands extensive catalog that includes eleven albums with “Supercharged” being released just last year. The hits never stop coming throughout the night, songs like “All I want,” “Original Prankster,” “Hit That,” “Why Don’t You Get a Job,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy), and “Gone Away” kept everybody singing the entire night. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Offspring are just not all about nostalgia as they have continually put out albums over the years and not simply lived off 1994’s monster release ‘Smash.’ Two songs from the new album made the list which were “Looking Out for #1” and “Make It Right” and despite being less than a year old, they fit perfectly in the set. I loved that the song “Dirty Magic” which made a tour debut at this show and  it is one of my favorites from the “Ignition” album. Although most of the attention is focused on Holland and Noodles, the band assembled around them brought all those hits to sonic brilliance. Bassist Todd Morse, drummer Brandon Pertzborn and guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist and percussionist Jonah Nimoy really shined and provided the foundation for the songs to thrive. Another really fun moment was the band ripping in a snippet of “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath and then the classic cut from metal Icon Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train.” Noodles then went into “In The Hall of the Mountain King,” a Edvard Grieg cover, and then the band returned for the Ramones cover “I wanna Be Sedated.” Even though the band does have so much material to pull from, it eventually does come down to getting through the iconic singles from that ‘Smash Album.’ “Gotta Get Away” was so good and closing with “Self Esteem” took me right back to hearing that song for the first time in the 1994. It was the perfect close to a night by band that embraces the past but always has one foot forward pointing to the future. The fans that were at Target Center has stuck with the band for decades and it does not seem like its going to slow down anytime soon.