Jack's 12th Show at FivePoint Amphitheatre

Photo: Robert Kinsler

Jack's 12th Show
Who: 311, The Offspring, Cypress Hill, Gin Blossoms, Lit, Eve 6
Where: FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine
When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017

Less than a week after the tragic mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas, fans filled the 12,000-capacity FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine on Saturday. Only the third event staged at the brand new venue since its opening on Oct. 5, there was a palpable sense that this six-hour Jack's 12th Show event would be memorable. Even walking from the dusty parking lot into the entry area of the venue located on the outskirts of the Orange County Great Park, people took photos and stopped to gaze at the long mural that had gathered music fan signatures during 2016 before Irvine Meadows was shuttered after 36 seasons of concerts.

Singer A. Jay Popoff, left and bassist Kevin Baldes
of Lit at Jack's 12th Show in Irvine, CA.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

"I love this venue," said Lit singer A. Jay Popoff a few songs into the Orange County rockers' set at the mini-fest. "I know it (FivePoint Amphitheatre) is temporary; I miss Irvine Meadows."

Lit, the second band on the lineup, delivered one of the best sets of the day and seemed the only band dialed into how important this concert was to OC locals hungry for a major live music venue in Orange County.

"This is kind of like if FEMA had to build Irvine Meadows," added Lit guitarist Jeremy Popoff.

Lit singer A. Jay Popoff, left, gets the crowd
ignited at Jack's 12th Show in Irvine.
Photo: Steven Georges

Lit opened its fast-moving 40-minute set with a hard-edged and spirited take on Tom Petty's "American Girl." The crowd responded with cheers, especially the fan near me wearing a Tom Petty T-shirt. "God bless Tom Petty – thanks for the great music," A. Jay Popoff said.

Lit's set reflected a band deeply connected with the power of rock and the songs that reflect moments in fans lives. The rousing performance of the Petty classic to get the set started was only one standout; the striking "Zip-Lock," confessional "Miserable" and set-ending sing-along "My Own Worst Enemy" (all off the group's 1999 disc A Place in the Sun) were obvious favorites, but several new songs off a forthcoming album were equally strong including the country-tinged "Fast."

Kicking off the event earlier in the afternoon was Eve 6, a trio from Southern California that had the challenge of performing when the sun was blazing hot. Singer-bassist Max Collins thanked fans willing to stand or sit in the sun, and Eve 6 rewarded early concertgoers with its energetic pop punk songs including "Here's To the Night" and their biggest hit, "Inside Out."

Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms.
Photo: Steven Georges

The Gin Blossoms have been writing, recording and performing great melodic, jangly rock 'n' roll for almost 30 years. The good news for discerning fans at Jack's 12 Show is many of the Tempe, Arizona-spawned troupe's best songs were delivered with power and absolute perfection on Saturday.  Opening with the Americana-tinged power pop cut "Follow You Down," the set also featured singer Robin Wilson (whose wry sense of humor could land him a stint on "Mystery Science Theater 3000") and guitar greats Jesse Valenzuela and Scott Johnson lifting the crowd with fine versions of the shimmering "Miss Disarray," tender "Until I Fall Away" and an anthemic take on the group's "Lost Horizons." There were few in the crowd sitting down when Gin Blossoms' closed out a 45-minute outing with their huge hit "Hey Jealousy."

There was a dramatic shift in the atmosphere when hip hop group Cypress Hill took the stage. A definite party atmosphere gripped FivePoint as the rappers delivered Latin hip hop sounds with lyrical messages about the joys of using cannabis ("I Want to Get High" and "Dr. Greenthumb" were among the crowd's favorites).

Dexter Holland, left, with Noodles of The Offspring.
Photo: Steven Georges

The Offspring's hour-long set featured most of the Orange County punk band's best known radio staples including "Come Out and Play," "Gotta Get Away," "Self Esteem," "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)," "Coming For You" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?" The group did take a detour from a mostly-blistering punk attack for singer Dexter Holland to sit at an upright piano and perform a tender version of "Gone Away," a song about "losing someone close to you." Tragically, there was so much loud chatter in the crowd that the emotions of the song were lost this night. 

Closing out Jack's 12th Show on an artistically-stronger note was 311. The quintet delivered its groundbreaking mix of alternative rock, rap, reggae and metal via more than a dozen cuts spanning the group's long history. Diversity and excellence in music were showcased across a performance that included the uplifting "Perfect Mistake," "Beautiful Disaster" (with its thrilling tandem guitar sonics), reggae-flavored "All Mixed Up," sweeping "Come Original" (with its prog-rock opening) and an affecting take on the Cure's "Lovesong." The set kept getting stronger, including a heavy "Down" to end the regular set and an encore performance of "Creatures (For A While)." 

Nick Hexum of 311.
Photo: Steven Georges

To be sure, Jack's 12th Show and the wide-ranging lineup at the FivePoint Amphitheatre was a success. Indeed, 311 singer-guitarist Nick Hexum summed up the long day perfectly: "It's nice to see some variety in music."


Review by Robert Kinsler

Editor's Note: Robert Kinsler's concert review and Steven Georges originally ran in The Orange County Register. You can view the original post and more of Steven Georges' images here.