The Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime, More Lead Audacy’s ‘KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas’ In L.A. [Photos/Videos]

No holiday season in Los Angeles would be complete without Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas blowout. For its 33rd edition, the annual event featuring pre-eminent bands from across the rock spectrum—including alternative, indie, punk, metal and more—returned to Kia Forum in Inglewood for a spectacular slate that seemingly spanned the iconic Southern California radio station’s entire history.

Thirty years after their Almost Acoustic Christmas debut (with a number of appearances since then), headliners The Smashing Pumpkins returned to the rotating stage with a new lineup. Kiki Wong, who had previously performed with the likes of Taylor Swift and Usher, was on guitar after emerging from over 10,000 applicants to take over Jeff Schroeder’s spot following his departure from the band in October 2023.

The 35-year-old UC Irvine graduate more than held her own as the Pumpkins rocked the house throughout their hour-long set. The Chicago-based alt-rock legends didn’t waste any time diving into their biggest hits, with “Tonight, Tonight” and “Today” landing among their first three tracks. Their set also included a new favorite, “Sighommi”, off of 2024’s Aghori Mhori Mei; classics like “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, “The Everlasting Gaze”, and “Cherub Rock”; and covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”, U2’s “Zoo Station”, and a James Iha-led rendition of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Backstage Interview – Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas – 12/14/24
 

The Smashing Pumpkins’ support for the evening was heavy on acts with local ties, alongside other beloved bands that brought nostalgia to the forefront.

The former category began with The Linda Lindas. The all-female punk band from the L.A. neighborhood of Boyle Heights reprised its role as an opener for the Pumpkins, on the heels of those two groups touring alongside Green Day earlier this year. The Linda Lindas, who have also opened for Paramore and The Rolling Stones, packed seven songs into an energetic 25-minute set, with the viral hit “Racist, Sexist Boy” as the closer.

Those teen sensations gave way to AWOLNATION, whose origins trace back to the SoCal suburb of Westlake Village. After spinning onto the front stage with an appropriately festive cover of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, lead singer Aaron Bruno and company proceeded to bang out anthemic earworms like “Kill Your Heroes”, “Panoramic View”, and the head-bang-worthy “Sail”.

Later on, the nearby city of Long Beach entered the fray by way of Sublime. With Jakob Nowell—the son of late lead singer Bradley Nowell—on the mic, the beloved ska-punk and reggae-rock band jammed through a slew of its long-time staples. From an opening nod to “Garden Grove” and a nostalgic trip to the “Pawn Shop” to the frenetic storytelling of “Date Rape” and the description of heroin addiction in “Badfish”, Jakob expertly hit all the notes that his father made famous. That continued on through “What I Got”, “Wrong Way”, and “Santeria”, and would’ve been just as true for “April 29, 1992 (Miami)” had the band not cut it short due to time constraints.

Sublime – Backstage Interview – Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas – 12/14/24
 

Beck was the last of the local acts to take the stage. As always, the 54-year-old L.A. native put on a show that, like his overall catalog and persona, defied any attempt at strict genre definition. There were the nods to 1990s grunge on “Devil’s Haircut” and “E-Pro”, the grooves of “New Pollution”, the cheeky balladry of “Debra”, the power pop of “Dreams”, and the various strains of hip-hop that trickled into “Loser”, “Wow”, and “Where It’s At”.

Beck – Backstage Interview – Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas – 12/14/24
 

Beyond those Golden State favorites, this year’s Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas brought in acts from far and wide whose music fit KROQ’s usual, rock-oriented oeuvre. Nobody traveled further for the occasion than bby and Franz Ferdinand.

The former (pronounced “Baby”) came all the way from London to open the evening with an upbeat brand of DIY punk. Lead singer Benjy Gibson flung his curly hair in every direction while rocking out to budding hits like “Breathe”, “Kinky”, and “hotline”—and boasting that he and his band would be back to headline Almost Acoustic Christmas someday.

Franz Ferdinand, on the other hand, needed no such introduction to the audience. The Scottish alt-rockers made the most of their 30-minute set after transitting from Glasgow, with long-time KROQ rotation staples like “No You Girls”, “Do You Want To”, “Take Me Out”, and “This Fire” making the cut.

As far as interstate imports were concerned, Jimmy Eat World and 311 did their part to represent rock from across America.

For Jimmy Eat World, it was a welcome return to L.A. after leading the marquee with Manchester Orchestra at the Greek Theatre this past July. The emo rockers from Mesa, Arizona dropped their cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas” in between beloved bangers like “Sweetness”, “A Praise Chorus”, “Bleed American”, and “The Middle.”

Perhaps no band on the bill went harder, though, than 311. The reggae-rap-rock pioneers from Omaha, Nebraska wasted no time diving into their hits, with “Beautiful Disaster”, “All Mixed Up”, and “Come Original” leading off the 40-minute stint. They followed that up with the title track from their latest album, 2024’s Full Bloom, before offering up their funky cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong” and the mellow vibes of “Amber”. Right on cue, lead singer Nick Hexum ended the set by shedding his shirt and singing “Down” while bare-chested.

311 – Backstage Interview – Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas – 12/14/24
 

As entertaining as the evening was, and as much music as KROQ managed to squeeze in, Almost Acoustic Christmas 2024 wasn’t (and has never been) just about fun. Similar to previous years, this latest lesson in the last 30 years of rock music at the Forum raised money to benefit a pair of organizations, Para Los Niños and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, both of which support local youth education.

Scroll down to view a gallery of photos from the 2024 KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas festivities at Kia Forum via Josh Martin and click below to watch a selection of crowd-shot videos from the night.

Audacy’s KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas 2024 – Official Recap Video