Pop-punk veterans The Offspring filled the Metropolis to capacity on Sept. 4, playing the first of a pair of concerts in Montreal. After openers The BCASA’S and Dead Sara got the crowd fired up, the California Quad opened with “Hurting as One,” the first of 21 songs in their set. Playing for just under an hour-and-a-half, the band downplayed interaction with the crowd and focused on the music, playing a mix of old and new, including six songs of their latest album Days Go By.
23 years after their initial release, the band showed that their popularity transcends age, with fans of all generations flocking to the mosh pit. With the booze flowing and every sense of the term “personal space” gone, the crowd got rowdy at times with beer and sweat flying left, right and center.
While most of the show was a fast-paced burst of energy, the band also took it down a notch playing “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?,” a song that frontman Dexter Holland wrote as an apology to a girl from his childhood.
Notable hits such as “Come out and Play” and “Dividing by Zero” were definite crowd-pleasers while newer songs, surprisingly, seemed to garner equal enthusiasm.
Ending the main set with “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright” from 1998’s Americana, the band came back on stage for a three-song encore finishing the night off with the ever-popular “Self Esteem.”
Edit: The Offspring had originally scheduled their second show at the Metropolis but due to unforeseen events, it was moved to The Olympia.
