On a beautiful Sunday (August 11th) for classic alternative rock, Gallagher Square at Petco Park buzzed with excitement the moment doors opened as Live Nation presented a spectacular concert featuring Liverpool’s rising stars, Crawlers, the iconic Love and Rockets, and the legendary original lineup of Jane’s Addiction, whose North American Tour plays on through September. This night’s vibrant atmosphere was reflected in the fans who gathered outside to celebrate musical memories and make new ones in sunny San Diego, California. Fans of all ages were in abundance, but Generation X showed up in full force, many looking fabulous in the same outfits worn to the headliners’ concerts in the heady halcyon days of the 80s and 90s.
Crawlers kicked off the night, radiating undeniable Liverpudlian rock energy that the early crowd simply could not ignore. Sporting a stylishly Gen-Z outfit reminiscent of Billie Eilish, Holly Minto let the audience know that the band understood their job and took it seriously: to get the party started! Their modern alt rock sound echoed the essence of other up and coming British bands such as Last Dinner Party, and they are clearly already looking forward to their return in March 2025 expressing their adoration of “CAALIIFORNIA!” and sheer joy in playing “SAAAN DIEEEEGOOO, CAALIIFORNIA!”. Their set proved a powerful introduction that set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Love and Rockets appeared on stage a full ten minutes early, much to the delight of the multitude of devoted fans who would stick around through the headliner, sure, but were clearly there to see Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins. Launching straight into a generous 55 minute set, the band played the deeply engaged sing-along crowd right into the early sunset, creating a magical atmosphere out of deep nostalgia and timeless tunes. While perhaps unable to fit every song desired into the set, no Love and Rockets fan was left unsatisfied with the excellent sound in the venue, allowing the band’s signature post-punk style to shine, continuing to build upon the palpable energy that runs through a musically blissed-out crowd.
When Jane’s Addiction took to the stage, that energy was more than ready to go into overdrive, but Perry, Stephen Perkins, Dave Navarro, and Eric Avery knew they had time to build it higher, and so started with 1997’s “Kettle Whistle” (with Eric doing a great Flea impression on the bass) before beginning a semi-sequential career-spanning set, playing “Whores” and “Pigs In Zen” from their eponymous debut album followed by choice cuts from Nothing’s Shocking (“Ted, Just Admit It”, “Summertime Rolls”, “Mountain Song”) and Ritual De Lo Habitual (“Three Days”, “Stop!”, “Been Caught Stealing”) along with “Imminent Redemption”, the first new music from the founding foursome in 34 years.
As with Love and Rockets just prior, the Jane’s Addiction set kept the nostalgia flowing, along with the wine on stage and the tallboys in the crowd, perfectly capping a celebratory night of rock and roll. As great as it was seeing original lineups continuing and reuniting, even more inspiring was seeing the diverse makeup of the crowd, from superfans of each band enjoying the others to the Gen-X parents rocking out alongside their Millennial, Gen-Z, and even Gen Alpha children. With Crawlers paving the way for the future and Love and Rockets and Jane’s Addiction reminding everyone of their storied past, it was certainly another great night to remember at Gallagher Square.