By Marisa Dawson, Photo by Natalie J. Russell
More than three decades after helping define the alternative rock sound of the 1990s, Everclear is still finding new ways to connect with audiences, including a tour that puts fans in charge of part of the setlist.
Led by founding member, vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis, Everclear will bring its Lucky 7 Tour to The Astro Theater this Saturday, November 7, with special guest American Hi-Fi. The show begins at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m.
The tour features a twist on the traditional concert experience: fans can vote for their favorite songs from Everclear’s extensive catalog, with the seven most-requested songs in each city earning a spot in that night’s performance. The fan-selected songs will join some of the band’s best-known hits, including “Santa Monica,” “Father of Mine,” “I Will Buy You a New Life” and “Wonderful.”
For Alexakis, the interactive approach has been a welcome change for both the band and its audience.
“It’s been amazing,” Alexakis said of the response so far. “People have just been having a blast.”
The band has seen fans gravitate toward a core group of requested songs, while a few less-expected selections have made their way into the top seven along the tour. Alexakis said he receives the results on the afternoon of each show and builds the setlist from there, moving songs around to keep things fresh.
“It’s fun for the band to not play the same set every night, you know, and the response has been great,” he said.
The Lucky 7 theme also carries a playful, vintage-inspired atmosphere. Alexakis said a friend created humorous video introductions for the fan-selected songs using old public-domain film footage, giving the tour a 1950s Rat Pack and Las Vegas-inspired feel.
“It’s just meant to entertain,” he said.
While the tour offers a new spin on the band’s performances, its foundation remains the music that first brought Everclear to prominence. Formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1992, the band broke through with its 1995 major-label debut, Sparkle and Fade, which went platinum and featured the hit “Santa Monica.”
Over the years, Everclear has released 11 studio albums, sold more than 6 million records worldwide and earned 12 Top 40 singles across mainstream rock, alternative and adult Top 40 radio. The band’s success also included a 1998 Grammy nomination.
But the audience connecting with those songs today isn’t limited to the generation that first heard them on the radio. Alexakis said younger fans have become a significant part of the band’s crowds, estimating that approximately 40% of concertgoers on the current tour are Gen Z, many of whom weren’t even born when Everclear’s songs first became hits.
“It’s really interesting,” he said. “It’s fun to see.”
He said some younger listeners discover the music through their parents, while others are drawn to the sound of the era itself.
“They don’t feel like there’s any real rock and roll,” Alexakis said of what younger fans have told him about contemporary music. “And they feel like the 90s was the last era of that.”
For Alexakis, the connection may also come down to the storytelling at the heart of Everclear’s music. Known for songs that explore family, relationships, personal struggles and life’s complicated moments, he approaches songwriting with a storyteller’s perspective.
“I’m a storyteller and I don’t think there’s anyone really doing that too much,” he said.
He explained that while some songs are entirely autobiographical, others combine pieces of his own experiences with things he’s observed, read about or imagined. Still others are fictional stories altogether.
“My job as a writer is the suspension of disbelief,” Alexakis said. “So you, you, if you can’t tell which is which.”
That ability to create songs that feel personal and relatable has helped Everclear’s catalog continue reaching listeners more than 30 years after the band’s formation. And despite the decades of touring and thousands of performances, Alexakis said the excitement of playing live hasn’t worn off.
“I love playing music, I love meeting people,” he said. “And the thing I get when I walk on stage is when I see the lights go down and the crowd comes up, man, that’s a buzz better than any drug.”
The Lucky 7 Tour features Alexakis alongside band members Davey French on guitar, Freddy Herrera on bass and Brian Nolan on drums. American Hi-Fi, known for its hit “Flavor of the Weak,” will join the lineup as special guest.
The tour began Oct. 22 in Los Angeles and will continue through Nov. 22, concluding in Nashville. As part of the tour, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to MusiCares, an organization that supports members of the music community.
Everclear’s performance at The Astro Theater, 8302 City Centre Drive in La Vista, is an all-ages event.
Fans can find ticket information and vote for their favorite songs at theastrotheater.com/event/everclear. Votes can also be submitted at everclear.set.fan.
