Photos and Review by Jolene Rheault
CHARLOTTE, NC — A sold-out room, three bands with zero quit, and a crowd that sang like their lungs were on the line—Charlotte got the full send. Everclear’s Sparkle and Fade 30th Anniversary Tour isn’t a retro victory lap; it’s a sharp, high-octane reminder that these songs—and these bands—still land with urgency, muscle, and heart.
Sponge opened with a jolt of Detroit voltage that immediately pulled the room in. Vinnie Dombroski stalked the stage with the confidence of someone who’s been doing this forever but still loves every second of it. His vocals were sharp and soulful, slicing through the mix as the band ripped into “Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)” and “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain).”
The energy never dipped—Andy and Tim Patalan’s guitars were crisp and alive, Dave Coughlin’s drumming thundered, and the crowd fed off it. By the time they hit “Plowed,” the entire venue was bouncing, fists raised, voices hoarse. Sponge didn’t feel like an opener—they felt like a headliner who happened to play first. Their set was the perfect warm-up shot: raw, melodic, and completely locked in.
Local H hit next, proving once again that two people can make as much noise—and precision—as a five-piece. Scott Lucas and Ryan Harding tore through “Cynic,” “California Songs,” and a blistering “Bound for the Floor” with the kind of chemistry that comes only from years on the road.
Their set was tight, punchy, and relentless—every drop of sound pulled straight from sweat and muscle. Later, Lucas joined Everclear for a quick Zeppelin jam, guitars intertwining in a moment that felt spontaneous and pure rock joy.
From the opening riff of “Electra Made Me Blind,” Everclear played with intent. Art Alexakis’s voice was gritty and human in all the right ways, and the band—Davey French, Freddy Herrera, and Brian Nolan—drove a set that felt lean, dynamic, and locked-in.
Mid-set, Alexakis paused to speak directly to fans living with disabilities and chronic pain. As an ADA photographer who battles stage-4 endometriosis and adenomyosis, I felt that acknowledgment deeply. Getting to a show takes grit; staying through the last chord takes even more. His shout-out wasn’t a detour—it was part of the show’s heartbeat.
The crowd surged on “Father of Mine,” lit up for “Heartspark Dollarsign,” and went full-voice for “Everything to Everyone.” The quick AC/DC and Zeppelin snippets were winks, not crutches—momentary sparks that only amplified the main charge. The encore’s run—“So Much for the Afterglow,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” and “Santa Monica”—landed euphoric and clean, the room united in one last, loud release.
Bottom line: this tour isn’t nostalgia—it’s momentum. It’s proof that Everclear, Local H, and Sponge are still evolving, still connecting, and still absolutely worth seeing live. If the Sparkle and Fade 30th Anniversary Tour rolls through your city, grab a ticket. You’ll leave reminded why rock ’n’ roll never dies—it just keeps turning up the volume.
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