THE OFFSPRING's DEXTER HOLLAND Says It Was 'Interesting And Fun' To Perform Entire 'Smash' Album For 30th Anniversary

In a new interview with Lauren O'Neil of Chicago's Q101 radio station, THE OFFSPRING singer Bryan "Dexter" Holland and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman spoke about the ongoing celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's mainstream breakout album "Smash". The LP, which was released in April 1994, sold over 11 million copies and is credited with helping revive the punk rock genre in the 1990s. Asked what it has been like to perform the entire album at some of the shows on the current tour, Noodles said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just did it once [before] in June at home, a hometown show, kind of a big like hockey arena, local hockey arena in Orange County [California]. And we did 'Smash' all the way through and then came back out and did some other hits after that."

Dexter added: "It's always fun to do that kind of stuff. You feel like you're taking something out and dusting it off, kind of — you're re-learning the songs. 'Cause some of those songs we haven't played in a long time; some of 'em we almost never played, period. So it was interesting and fun to get to do it and kind of play it as an album all the way through."

Asked about some of the challenges of performing the "Smash" material live, possibly as it relates to incorporating different guitar tunings, Noodles said: "It's actually, I think, easier now. And there's not that many tunings. Back when we were doing 'Smash', we didn't mess around with alternate tunings. [Addressing Dexter] Well, you do have one. You do have one."

The guitarist added: "Those songs still sound as relevant today — to me, anyways — as they did back when we first came out with them."

THE OFFSPRING first celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Smash" with a special concert on June 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The set included a full-album performance of "Smash", as well as other OFFSPRING hits.

"Smash" featured the singles "Come Out And Play" and "Self Esteem" and was certified six-times platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Throughout THE OFFSPRING's career, they've sold over a staggering 40 million albums, and toured arenas, and built a global fan base.

In a March 2024 interview with the Colombian radio station Radioacktiva, Noodles stated about "Smash": "It's hard for me to place the songs as being part of that time. The songs, to me, are timeless. The songs are every bit as [relevant] today as they were 30 years ago. But I feel that way about a lot of the music I've loved throughout my life, and especially all the music we've made. I can think back to when I first heard 'Come Out And Play' on the radio and just thinking, 'Whoa, what is this? This is mind-blowing. This doesn't happen to bands like us.' That was a very exciting thing. And once we realized, 'Hey, man, we've gotta pick up this ball and run with it. Let's see. Maybe we can get a few years off playing music for a living.' But I don't think any of us thought 30 years later we would still be making music."

Originally formed under the name MANIC SUBSIDAL, THE OFFSPRING's lineup consists of Holland, Wasserman, bassist Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn.

THE OFFSPRING's eleventh album, "Supercharged", will arrive on October 11 via Concord Records. The LP was produced by Bob Rock (METALLICA, BON JOVI, AEROSMITH) in Maui, Vancouver and the band's Huntington Beach, California studio.

Photo credit: Daveed Benito