Article and Photos by: Ommar Ortuvia

The Woodlands, TX — Being at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX, on Saturday night for The Offspring’s Supercharged Worldwide in ’25 tour was like being transported back to 2002—that era when you could dial into your favorite rock station and hear The Offspring, New Found Glory, and Jimmy Eat World all within the same hour. Now, 23 years later, The Offspring are bringing New Found Glory and Jimmy Eat World as openers for their current tour.

The stage scheme was set up with neon images of New Found Glory’s latest single cover, 100%, in anticipation of their forthcoming album, which currently does not have an official release date. Despite it being a mild 89 degrees (by Houston standards) at 7 p.m. for New Found Glory’s start, their pop-punk energy made it impossible to stand still and not end up drenched in sweat. They kicked off the evening with “Understatement,” the opening track from their 2002 album Sticks and Stones. They then delivered a nonstop barrage of catchy pop-punk anthems from their nearly 30-year discography, culminating with their #1 hit “My Friends Over You.” This last song got everybody out of their seats and moving, with its infectious riff and ultra-catchy chorus. Before their finale, lead singer Jordan Pundik mentioned how their main guitarist was out due to a cancer diagnosis and asked the crowd to send him recovery vibes. Despite having only a 35-minute set, they packed in as much drive and energy as a two-hour show, amping up the venue with their relentless vigor, with Jordan and the rest of the band jumping, running, and going wild the entire time. Ian Grushka’s bass guitar also won over local fans with a retro Houston Oilers logo painted on it, complete with the classic light blue, red, and white color scheme.

After New Found Glory exited the stage, emo rockers Jimmy Eat World began their set with “Pain.” They continued with more emo-punk anthems before closing with their best-known songs, “Sweetness” and “The Middle.” Afterwards, with no delay, The Offspring’s pre-show antics began with a huge countdown on the screen. Entertainment for the expectant crowd was everywhere: a gorilla-headed “mascot” ran among fans looking for lucky ones to receive seat upgrades; a “booty cam” highlighted fans shaking it; a “kiss cam” re-enacted that infamous Coldplay fiasco; and a “headbang cam” let fans show off their cervical stamina. There was also a retro-inspired Offspring video game on the big screens and an anarchic blimp floating around the venue, among other amusements.

All this foreshadowed how the night would go, with The Offspring mixing comedy with familiarity throughout the show, always with a punk edge. They launched straight into their setlist with the song that brought them fame, 1994’s “Come Out and Play.” That was followed by classics like “All I Want” and “Want You Bad.” Later, they shifted to more recent releases, such as “Looking Out for #1” and “Make It All Right,” both from their 2024 studio album Supercharged. At about the halfway mark, the band played a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne with covers of “Paranoid” and “Crazy Train,” then added The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” giving older punks and metalheads plenty to enjoy.

The second half of the setlist focused on their most widely recognized hits, including “Gotta Get Away,” a piano ballad version of “Gone Away,” “Why Don’t You Get a Job,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright.” After this barrage of hits, they took their required pre-encore pause—short enough to feel more like a breather than a break. The encore began with “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid,” foreshadowed by the blimp’s LED display scrolling “Dance Fucker Dance.” The finale was, of course, “Self Esteem.” Once Dexter launched into the iconic “la la lalalaaa la la lalalaaaaa,” the whole venue was jumping and bobbing their heads, letting it all out. After an almost two-hour set, the show wrapped. As the crowd was herded out of the venue, one phrase kept popping up: “That was a fun show.” Fans repeated in various ways how much they loved the pre-show antics and how all three bands delivered strong performances. If you get the chance to catch The Offspring—and their first opener, New Found Glory—you won’t be disappointed. The Supercharged tour continues stateside until early September, then heads overseas through November.