Innings Festival is in full swing! In the midst of Spring Training, the baseball-focused two-day festival took over Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Arizona with some major heavy hitters.

Day one of Innings Festival ended with a bang! Photo Credit: Roger Ho

For two days, fans were treated to incredible performances by Green Day, Weezer, Mt. Joy, and Eddie Vedder, along with incredible performances from Weezer, Marcus Mumford, The Black Crowes, The Revivalists, The Offspring, The Pretty Reckless, The Head and the Heart and many more. It wouldn’t be Innings festival without a few special appearances by MLB legends. Ryan Dempster, Randy Johnson, Jake Peavy, Dontrelle Willis, Grady Sizemore, and more spoke with attendees about their incredible careers.

Off the Mount with Ryan Dempster. Photo Credit: Michael Ryan Kravetsky

Thousands of baseball and music aficionados lined up in anticipation of the fifth edition of the beloved festival and needless to say, day one was a tribute to the 90s babies.

The Offspring:

Classic rock band, The Offspring, took to the stage in the middle of the day to get the crowd hyped over the day to come. The household favorite opened up with none other than, “Come Out and Play.” Fans jumped, danced, and shouted every single lyric for an hour. If one thing is for certain, it’s that The Offspring certainly has a loyal fanbase. Most of the material was from the album, “Smash,” which released a friendly dose of teenage angst. “The energy and smiling faces, I love it! I'm feeling the love,” lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman exclaimed to the crowd. “All you need is love and Arizona sunshine!” The playful banter between the band to the crowd was phenomenal. Although the sound was slightly off (in part due to the high winds), The Offspring connected with the crowd, even calling them a “heavenly choir who likes to cuss.” Throughout the set, favorites were played including, “Hammerhead,” “Want You Bad,” “Bad Habit,” and “Pretty Fly (for a white guy),” before closing out with “Self-Esteem.”

Weezer

Dad jokes between singles? Sign me up! Photo Credit: Ashley Osborn

“I hope you’re having fun at the Green Day show,” lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo quipped during their set. The rock band had guests lining the walls to attempt to see them in all of their glory. Although the band has a lengthy list of favorites and performs quite often, each set differs from the previous. Most of their customer loyalty is driven by the hit singles, (as cliche as it may be) “Beverly Hills.” Between singles frontman coyly joked with attendees.

Come because you feel like you should, stay for the dad jokes and of course, “Say It Ain’t So” audience takeover. Which of course, onlookers hung onto every word during the fan-favorite and as always, it was pure magic.

Green Day:

As someone who has seen this incredible band a handful of times, there was something quite special about Green Day in Tempe. The band gave it their all and closed day one with a bang! Lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong has led the band since its creation, in 1986, and 12 studio albums later, the band shows no signs of slowing down. The frontman is simply made to entertain and the supporting aspects are oozing talent. Fireworks, flames, and impeccable visuals kept attendees engaged during their two-hour set which primarily covered hits from their “American Idiot” album. From longtime fans of the band from their debut album to first-timers and lovers of their latest album, FOAMF, the hits from Green Day remain undeniable.

Day one of Innings Festival ended with a bang and a love letter to the past and a nice reminder of the incredible punk music from the late 90s early 2000s.