Anyone who went to Irvine Meadows on Friday night not knowing the legendary landmark will soon be closed is now well versed in both the fate and 35-plus-year history of the venue.
The majority of artists who performed at Jack’s 11th Show offered tributes to Irvine Meadows. The fact that this and every one of Jack FM’s previous festivals had also been held at Irvine Meadows made this an especially poignant farewell.
The only good thing about this inevitable goodbye was how the artists rose to the occasion and turned in memorable performances that were able to solidify why live music in this scenic setting carved out into an Orange County hillside can be so special.
The day began with a special side stage performance by Chevy Metal. “Can you believe they are closing Irvine Meadows?” said singer-drummer Taylor Hawkins, who led the outfit through an eight-song set of covers. Hawkins recalled attending his first show at the amphitheater in 1982, a bill featuring a Freddie Mercury-led Queen and Billy Squier. “Let’s send out the last couple of Irvine Meadows shows out in style.”
Chevy Metal’s set featured mostly faithful versions of crowd pleasing rockers, including Squier‘s “The Stroke” and Queen’s epic rocker “Tie Your Mother Down,” the band’s lesser known gem “Dragon Attack” and the David Bowie-Queen classic “Under Pressure.”
Then the action moved to the main stage beginning just after 5:30 p.m. with a wonderful set from Violet Femmes. How great that the troupe opened things up with a fiery “Blister in the Sun” and over the course of a mere 32 minutes delivered similarly mighty takes of “Kiss Off,” “American Music,” “Gone Daddy Gone” and other infectious acoustic punk-styled songs. The trio’s Oingo Boingo-meets-B-52’s groundbreaking sound seems to resonate and exhibit more staying power with each passing year, as evidenced by bassist Brian Ritchie’s admission: “We were at Jack’s 1st Show.”
Although Erik Francis Schrody (better known by his stage name Everlast) no longer has a commanding voice (especially during the tandem folk-rock mini set of his “Put Your Lights On” and a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”), a performance of House of Pain’s 1992 hit “Jump Around” got the crowd to do just that.
For sheer artistry, the night belonged to Garbage. The band was fueled by intoxicating electronica-meets-alt rock material that was performed with both power and nuance, with Scottish singer Shirley Manson proving she remains among the most mesmerizing personalities in modern rock.
Songs spanning from Garbage’s 1995 debut to the band’s latest disc “Strange Little Birds” afforded Manson and company to draw the audience into her world of darkness and hurt; the taut “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “#1 Crush” (with the songstress performing much of it crouched or crawling on the stage) and an ethereal “Only Happy When It Rains” provided intensity aplenty. A version of “Empty” also impressed with Manson dispelling the final line a cappella.
The Cult’s distinctive rock brand had the audience hooked much more convincingly here than when the Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy-led band opened for Guns N’ Roses at Dodger Stadium last month. As the band performed a fast-moving, hour-long set (including the riff rock AC/DC worthy “Wild Flower” and “Lil‘ Devil” as well as more sweeping material, notably “She Sells Sanctuary”), the fans around me were on their feet and even seemed to appreciate when the band veered into unknown material.
New cuts “Deeply Ordered Chaos” and “Birds of Paradise” off the troupe’s latest album “Hidden City” provided additional depth to the Cult outing. Hard rocking takes on “Fire Woman” and “Love Removal Machine” provided the perfect way to build things to a big finish.
Finishing up the night was Jane’s Addiction, whose 75-minute set allowed the Perry Farrell-led collective to perform a wide range of material. The group’s brew of hard rock (featuring tons of metal guitar work courtesy of Dave Navarro) and neo-psychedelic stylings came with a number of female dancers who performed around, amid and even overhead the band. There were blinding pyrotechnics, strong performances of material from the opener “Stop” and the band’s thrilling “Been Caught Stealing” to the closer “Jane Says” and, of course, more tributes to Irvine Meadows.
“Do we really have to shut this place down?” Farrell asked early in the band’s set. “(I’ve had) So many good times in here.”
Count Jack’s 11th Show as another one.
