Art Alexakis of Everclear performs performs at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 2022. Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images.

LOS ANGELES — Everclear played the first night of their Southern California shows on the band’s year-long 30th anniversary tour at the intimate Whisky a Go Go on Thursday night, after a month-long run of dates in the U.K.

“This is the only venue in L.A. they’ve never played!” asserted former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield as he introduced the band. He also told the audience that they would all be part of a new Everclear live album, as there were cameras in the house filming.

Singer-guitarist Art Alexakis launched straight into “So Much for the Afterglow,” the title track of the band’s 1997 album, followed by “Everything to Everyone” from the same record. It was a decidedly hometown show.

Guitarist Davey French of Everclear performs performs at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 2022. Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images.

“As you may know, I’m from Santa Monica,” Alexakis proudly declared to cheers from the sold-out crowd. “Who else grew up here? Who remembers KROQ?” he asked, referring to the radio station that first played his band in Southern California.

The band continued with “Heroin Girl” and “Heartspark Dollarsign” from 1995’s Sparkle and Fade, before unleashing “Father of Mine” from Afterglow.

Everclear played a good mix of cuts from throughout their 30-year existence as a band, including “Nervous and Weird,” from its recently re-released first album, 1993’s World of Noise. Alexakis is the sole original member of Everclear, but the other members—Brian Nolan, Dave French and Freddy Herrera—looked and sounded like they were truly enjoying playing together onstage.

“After three years, isn’t it great to hear some rock and roll?” Alexakis asked.

When introducing “The Swing,” Alexakis said that Everclear had made the song for the Scream 2 soundtrack. “I know, I know. But they paid us a lot of fucking money for it,” he said. The band also played “Local God,” from 1996’s Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.

Alexakis was humble and grateful in his between-song chatter, saying that he was blessed to be able to play music, and glad that he has love in his life and in his band.

“Where are my sober people at?” he asked before playing “Strawberry,” from 1995’s Sparkle and Fade.

Art Alexakis of Everclear performs performs at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 2022. Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images.

He announced he’d been sober for 33 years, and that these days, he gets the greatest joy from playing guitar. Alexakis then dedicated the song to his “sober brothers.” He deftly handled proclaiming his sobriety without seeming preachy, which perhaps explains why so many attendees earnestly raised their cups of beer to toast his achievement.

Especially well-received was ’90s monster hit “I Will Buy You a New Life,” from Afterglow, on which attendees loudly sang every word. The show lost some energy toward the end on “Volvo Driving Soccer Mom” from 1992’s Slow Motion Daydream. The incisive lyrics about a former wild child gone conformist seemed to fall flat in an audience likely full of formerly wild children.

The band closed with “Santa Monica” and a cover of the Vaselines’ “Molly’s Lips” (which ’90s kids will remember was also covered by Nirvana on Insecticide).

The show was opened by fellow ’90s stalwarts Sponge, who performed its hits “Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina),” “Molly (16 Candles)” and “Plowed,” among other songs. Singer Vinnie Dombrowski’s vocals were a bit too low in the mix to be heard properly, but he commanded the stage well. All the members of Sponge, which like Everclear counts only the singer among its remaining original members, sounded tight and polished.