Tuesday, October 7, 1997
‘The Ever Kleers’ perform incognito in Viper Room
MUSIC: Band promotes new album with friendly, laid-back
entertainment
By Mike Prevatt
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Anyone with half a brain could have realized that "The Ever
Kleers," the band the Viper Room’s marquis promoted to play on
Friday night, was really the alt-rock fave Everclear. But for those
cerebrally challenged people … well, they missed out.
In a room about the size of a small Westwood apartment, a
jam-packed crowd delighted in a "secret" show featuring the
Portland, Ore., band, preparing for a tour in support of their
album "So Much For the Afterglow," released today. The new album,
which features more pop experimentation than the band’s previous
albums (1994’s "World of Noise" and 1995’s platinum-selling
"Sparkle and Fade"), was previewed in bits and pieces during the
55-minute show.
Everclear, headed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Art Alexakis,
kicked into the first track off their new album with the same name.
Despite the punk-pop edge that had heads bobbing amidst the
smoke-drenched club, the usual mosh pit was absent. But that
certainly wasn’t due to the band’s lack of energy. Half of the
crowd was comprised of the older, twenty- and thirty-something
fans, which help make Everclear’s diverse fan base unique.
The band ripped through songs like "You Make Me Feel Like a
Whore" and "Heroin Girl," as well as new gems like "Amphetamine"
and "Like a California King." Their new alt-pop single, "Everything
to Everyone," particularly stood out among the other, more
hard-driving songs with Alexakis the band’s wide-ranged vocals.
Much to the devout Everclear fans’ joy, the band even played a
couple of songs from "World of Noise."
Alexakis, whose personal yet universal lyrical themes connect
with many fans, talked with the crowd often and even lent his ear
when a fan up front wanted to request a song. Also joining the
friendly banter was bassist Craig Montoya ("Is anyone getting drunk
tonight?"), who contributed his vocals during a thrashing cover of
AC/DC’s "Sin City."
Another cover, this time on Black Sabbath’s "Paranoia," kicked
off an encore that also included a smile-inducing version of John
Denver’s "Rocky Mountain High." The show ended with their No. 1
alternative hit of 1996, "Santa Monica."