Photo by Brian Cox
Everclear, the Portland-bred alternative rock band that helped define the sound of mid-’90s radio, will perform at Big Night Live on Tuesday, October 21, as part of their extensive Sparkle and Fade 30th Anniversary Tour.
The show marks a homecoming of sorts for the band’s landmark 1995 album, which transformed Everclear from indie upstarts into mainstream stalwarts. Sparkle and Fade, the group’s major-label debut on Capitol Records, spawned the chart-topping hit “Santa Monica” and established frontman Art Alexakis as one of alternative rock’s most distinctive voices.
“Sparkle and Fade was not the first album I had made, but it was the album I had wanted to make my whole life,” Alexakis said in a statement. “It changed everything for me and Everclear.”
The platinum-selling record, which also featured singles “Heroin Girl” and “Heartspark Dollarsign,” arrived at the height of alternative rock’s commercial peak. Rolling Stone’s Album Guide praised it as “everything a radio-ready rock record should be: explosive, soul-searching, belligerent.”
Now 63, Alexakis continues to tour despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2019. The singer has maintained a rigorous performance schedule while donating $1 from every ticket sale to MS-related charities and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. He recently appeared on the cover of PEOPLE Health magazine, discussing his positive approach to managing the condition.
“There’s a song we do called ‘Strawberry’—and the repeating line is ‘Don’t fall down, you’ll never get up,'” Alexakis told the magazine, referencing a deep cut from Sparkle and Fade originally written about addiction recovery. “It’s a song of hope, really.”
The current incarnation of Everclear features Alexakis alongside guitarist Davey French, bassist Freddy Herrera, and drummer Brian Nolan. The band has maintained an active touring schedule and released their first official live album, “Live at The Whisky a Go Go,” in 2023.
Chicago alternative rock duo Local H and Detroit grunge veterans Sponge will support the Boston show, creating a bill that spans three decades of alternative rock. The 40-date tour represents one of the most extensive anniversary celebrations in recent memory for a ’90s alternative act.
Since forming in 1992, Everclear has sold over 6 million records worldwide and earned 12 Top 40 singles across various radio formats. Their catalog includes four gold or platinum-certified albums and a 1998 Grammy nomination.
The band promises to perform the entirety of Sparkle and Fade throughout the course of the evening, alongside hits from their extensive catalog including “Father of Mine,” “I Will Buy You A New Life,” and “Wonderful.”
Tickets and VIP packages for the Big Night Live show are available through the venue’s box office and the band’s official website at everclearmusic.com/tour.