Packed DTE crowd endures heat wave for Pepper, Offspring and 311's energetic Unity Tour

7-9-10 Originally published on Examiner.com by Tracy Heck

Wednesday night, hybrid rock/rap/reggae group 311 brought their ninth annual Unity Tour to Clarkston, Michigan at the DTE Energy Music Theater.

Tracy Heck

The band is celebrating their 20th year together and continue to provide music that is unlike anything else out on the airwaves.
Their relevance was once again proven Wednesday as legions of their fans packed the lawn and pavilion at DTE despite the massive heat wave that Michigan has been under all week.
The crowd started out light when Hawaiian reggae/ska band Pepper took the stage but the band quickly got the crowd on it's feet with it's brand of energetic party music.
The tour is Pepper's third outing with 311 and fans bearing their merchandise were everywhere.
The band opened the show with a beach setting complete with surfboards, beach balls and a lifeguard chair.  The trio themselves sported red swimsuits and noses covered in zinc oxide.
Pepper is infamous for not using a set list, instead going with the flow depending on the venue and crowd.
Wednesday night, Pepper chose to run through a number of their classic songs including "No Control" and "Ashes" and included a great version of their new single "Wake Up" as the band joked with the crowd.
After their set, alternative rockers The Offspring quickly took the stage with no warning and immediately blasted into their hit "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid".
Instantly, there was a crowd rush back to the seats and the lawn began to fill in as The Offspring provided a 17 song set list packed with their greatest hits.
From "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)" and "Want You Bad" to "Why Don't You Get A Job?" and "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)", the band took fans for a walk down Nineties memories lane.
However, the band did take a moment to play more recent material including "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?" and gave fans a chance to hear their newest song "You Will Find A Way".
A highlight of the set was vocalist Dexter Holland sitting down for a solo slow piano version of "Gone Away"
The Offspring closed with Buffy theme song "The Kids Aren't Alright" and their signature song "Self Esteem".
By the time 311 took the stage, fans had packed in everywhere allowing very little room for movement and although the sun had gone down, the oppressive heat was still present.  Still, the lack of room and heat did not keep the crowd from jumping, dancing and singing along.
The second the band took the stage, they burst into their hit "Down" and kept the energy high with fun tracks "Sick Tight" and "All Mixed Up".
The party vibe continued as 311 pulled out a number of their hits as well as some rarities.
Set highlights included striking versions of "Beyond the Gray Sky" and "Beautiful Disaster" and classic "Amber".
The band closed with "Creatures (For Awhile)" and later returned to the stage for two encores with "Omaha Stylee" and old track "Feels So Good", which the band played in honor of their 20th anniversary.
311 proved that their reputation for great shows is well earned providing fans with a evening of non-stop fun and inspiration.
311 Set list:
1. Down
2. Sick Tight
3. All Mixed Up
4. Mix It Up
5. Taiyed
6. Plain
7. Come Original
8. Beyond the Gray Sky
9. Brodels
10. Applied Science
11. Don’t Stay Home
12. Beautiful Disaster
13. You Wouldn’t Believe
14. India Ink
15. Nix Hex
16. Livin' and Rockin'
BASS SOLO
17. What Was I Thinking?
18. Amber
19. Creatures (For a While)
e:
20. Omaha Stylee
21. Feels So Good