' 90s icons still Alexakicking around

We all love the '90s. Who doesn't? The decade gave us denim, Stretch Armstrong, 56K Internet (with Al Gore, and Al Gore only, to thank) and of course, the meteoric rise of pop music.

When we think about '90s music, we tend to remember Third Eye Blind, Nirvana and the Spice Girls. But how can we forget Everclear? No, not the liquid goodness that magically transports us to a Wild West complete with mechanical bull and vomit-stained floors. Instead, I mean the massively popular band that gave us 1997's multiplatinum So Much for the Afterglow, with hits like "Father of Mine" and "I Will Buy You a New Life."

Like all successful '90s groups, Everclear broke up, but the band reformed in 2004 and are currently on tour, with a stop in Raleigh this weekend.

Everclear's lineup has seen many changes since their heyday. Currently, the band consists of holdover and leader Art Alexakis on guitar and vocals, playing alongside newcomers Dave French on guitar, Sam Hudson on bass and Brett Snyder on drums. Alexakis said he is extremely happy with the group, describing his current bandmates as "phenomenal."

Of course, with a new lineup comes a new sound. Everclear's earlier songs were largely influenced by Alexakis' drug addiction and troubled childhood ("Father of Mine" deals directly with Alexakis' father walking out on the family), but Everclear's new songs have moved in a slightly different direction.

"The songs are more political, more social, just looking at where our country is," he said. "Everybody knows about Darfur, but we also need to take care of the people starving in our own country."

A case in point is the band's newest single, provocatively titled "Jesus was a Democrat." Coupled with an animated music video that Alexakis predicts will be "intense," it's apparent that the band is distancing themselves from their strictly pop background.

That said, Alexakis thinks it's important that his loyal fans from the '90s get to experience the songs that established Everclear as an icon.

"I'm frustrated with bands that don't play their hit songs, but it all comes down to where we're playing," he said. "I like to mix it up, and play some more obscure songs when we're in front of an audience that came just for us, but at festivals, I tend to make it broader."

Alexakis describes the band's current tour as "perpetual." Typically, Everclear will perform for three or four days, and then return home for a bit.

"It's better in some ways because I get to spend more time with my family, but it's exhausting," he said.

Following their Raleigh show, the band leaves for Europe to play a few shows on military bases, followed by a gig in Las Vegas and a more extensive U.S. tour.

After Alexakis has finished his work with Everclear, he hopes to tour solo sometime soon, he said. Yet with all of his success coming from group acts, he's both excited and nervous about performing alone.

"It's easier to hide behind loud musicians; doing a solo tour, you're naked," he said. "I want my shows to be more interactive, with videoscreens, and a DJ, and cameras out in the audience."

Alexakis has much planned for the future. In addition to another Everclear album, which he hopes to record by the end of the year, Alexakis is currently working on a film he not only wrote but also plans to act in and produce. Throw in a 10-month old infant, and one thing is for sure: Alexakis is still trying to be "everything to everyone."

Everclear plays Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 126 E. Cabarrus St. in Raleigh, with openers Your Vegas, SOJA and Athenaeum. Tickets are $9.99 advance, $15 day of show.

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