Brian Cox
Audio By Carbonatix
Thirty years into its run, Everclear remains less interested in coasting on nostalgia than in proving it still belongs onstage. That urgency will be on display when the band performs Friday, January 30, and Saturday, January 31, at the Stanley Hotel, bringing a catalog that helped define ’90s alternative rock into one of Colorado’s most-storied locales.
For founder, vocalist,and guitarist Art Alexakis, the motivation to keep touring isn’t abstract or sentimental. “This is my life’s work,” he says. “I still love playing in front of people.” But the drive is also grounded in reality. “I have an eighteen-year-old daughter who’s going to college and a wife I have to support. And at the same time, I have multiple sclerosis. I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to work.”
Everclear didn’t arrive fully formed during the decade’s alt-rock boom. The band grew out of upheaval and persistence, taking shape in 1992 after Alexakis relocated from San Francisco to Portland following the collapse of his earlier band, Colorfinger. That period sharpened the songwriting heard on Everclear’s earliest releases, including the Nervous & Weird EP and the independently released World of Noise. The attention those recordings generated — fueled by college radio and a growing local buzz — led to a major-label deal with Capitol Records and a rapid leap into the national spotlight.
The breakthrough came with 1995’s Sparkle and Fade, a platinum-selling release anchored by “Santa Monica,” a song that seemed to soundtrack a particular kind of restless American moment. From there, Everclear became a fixture across mainstream rock, alternative, and adult top-40 radio, eventually racking up twelve Top 40 singles, four Gold or Platinum albums, and more than six million records sold.
Touring today looks different than it did during Everclear’s early years of near-constant road work, but Alexakis says adaptation has been essential. “Back in the day, you’d do long tours that never really ended,” he says. “These days, most bands do one-offs and fly dates.” Everclear still logs roughly 60 to 70 shows a year, supplemented by periodic bus tours and international runs to markets like Australia and New Zealand.
Living with multiple sclerosis has also reshaped how Alexakis approaches life on the road. Fatigue management is key, and staying active is non-negotiable. “If I wasn’t out pushing myself and moving, constantly moving, those are the people who die early,” he says. “That’s been my experience watching people, whether it’s MS or just aging.”
Rather than settling into a legacy act, Everclear continues to revisit and reframe its catalog while also looking forward. In 2022, World of Noise was reissued as a remastered thirtieth-anniversary deluxe edition, making the album available digitally for the first time alongside previously unreleased material. That same year brought Everclear – 30 Years Gone: A Retrospective, hosted by longtime friend and former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield, as well as a sprawling North American tour. A hometown stop at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go was later released as Live at the Whisky a Go Go, capturing a band still leaning into momentum rather than polish.
In recent years, the Stanley Hotel has leaned into live music as more than background entertainment, positioning its concerts as experiences shaped by place as much as performance. With its long corridors, charged atmosphere, and reputation that extends well beyond Estes Park, the venue brings an added layer of texture to any show that passes through. Everclear will be playing the Stanley for the first time, a prospect Alexakis says the band is excited about, particularly with two nights on the calendar.
As for what audiences can expect to take away from the shows, Alexakis keeps it simple.
“It’s rock and roll,” he says. “I don’t give sermons. I want people to sing along, be with the crowd, and have a good time. That’s what live music is about.”
Tickets for Everclear’s January 30 and January 31 performances at the Stanley Hotel, 333 East Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park, are available at: stanleyhotel.ticketspice.com/everclearatthestanley.
