311 recaptured that spark I couldn’t see in them back in 2001. Perhaps it was me growing as a music lover or it was them having a great night, but on this night, 311 seemed to shine.

Opening the set with Other Side of Things, the show immediately came to life. Kids were flinging themselves around, screaming out the words and having a great time. The band played off of each other well, even making a quick joke before playing. The smiles were there and so was the energy.

The night flowed well and even contained a few surprises for the audience in a few selected covers from The Cure, The Clash and Led Zeppelin. These were welcome to my ears as a way to introduce the newer 311 audience to some of the more important bands of the past.

Dyer Maker stood out as the best of the covers, but of course, the Cure cover (Love Song) was the most well known due to its addition to the 50 First Dates soundtrack. Either way, these songs were played with a heart of a band that truely admires the bands they cover.

The night flowed smoothly as each song took on a new life and kept the audience dancing along and enjoying the night. After a short intermission, the band returned for an encore which concluded with their mid-90s hit, Down.

It was pleasing to come back to the Verizon and make peace with one of my all-time favorite bands. Glad to see we are both at the same place now.