Everclear in Concert
Everclear put a firm stamp on modern rock in the 1990s, when they dominated alternative radio with their infectious mix of angsty grunge riffs and bright pop hooks. While the musical landscape has drastically changed since then, the band has continued to embrace their hard-rock roots well into the 21st century.
Everclear's story starts with Los Angeles-born frontman Art Alexakis. After a difficult childhood in Southern California, he moved to San Francisco, where his career in music started to take shape. There, he formed a few country-punk bands — including The Easy Hoes and Colorfinger — and founded his own Shindig Records in the late ‘80s. But it was his eventual move to Portland, Oregon, that sealed his rock-star fate.
After placing an ad in a local Portland paper, Alexakis met bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert, and Everclear was officially established in 1992 when the trio began performing at local gigs. The next year, they recorded their debut EP, Nervous & Weird. It was then expanded and turned into their first full-length, World of Noise, released on indie label Tim/Kerr. With an album to their name, the group hit the road, performing in cities around the U.S. as they sought a major-label deal. In 1994, they signed to Capitol Records, all while going through a slight lineup shift with Cuthbert being replaced by new drummer Greg Eklund.
Their second album and first for Capitol, Sparkle and Fade, appeared in 1995 and caught on quickly with catchy singles like "Santa Monica." That momentum continued to grow with their next release, 1997's So Much for the Afterglow, which went double platinum thanks to modern-rock hits "Everything to Everyone," "Father of Mine," and "I Will Buy You a New Life."
Everclear rolled into 2000 with just as much ambition, releasing Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile and its second volume, Good Time for a Bad Attitude. But by the band's 10th anniversary in 2004, Alexakis remained the only founding member, so he invited three new musicians into the lineup. The next decade saw the band back on indie labels, releasing a few more albums of original material, while hitting up popular festivals like the Vans Warped Tour and the now-annual Summerland Tour — founded by Alexakis in 2012 — featuring Everclear alongside other ‘90s rock vets.