Art Alexakis has been an inspiration to many with his candid lyrics arising from personal life experiences. We try our best never to miss the opportunity to catch him when him when he comes through town, whether on his solo gig or with the band Everclear. Thirty plus years of doing this and he still delivers a powerful performance. Everclear made a stop in Raleigh, North Carolina on their current tour on September 20, 2023. Yeah, it may have been a week night these guys still rock seven days a week, almost literally given their touring schedule. The Ritz was packed and there were all sorts of Everclear shirts being displayed on fans from different eras of the band’s career. The band’s not promoting a new studio album, although they did have a kick-ass live album Live At The Whisky A Go Go that dropped in September. The setlist contained songs from all throughout the band’s career with the majority being from 1997’s  So Much For The Afterglow album. The band recently released a video for a re-recorded version of “Sing Away” which originally appeared on Art’s solo album. It appears on their new live album and it’s a powerful song about bullying and mental health. The video for it is also pretty powerful and something that you really should watch. They delivered this song in the setlist and it was definitely a highlight. The band sounded tight and powerful but still remained to keep that raw edge which makes them such a great live band. A full setlist appears after the photo gallery.

Review & Pix: I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price