Offspring: Catchy Fun in a Familiar Vein

With a fan base that’s gone from spiky punkers to baseball-cap wearing frat boys, the Offspring have acquired true crossover success--not by selling out, as many have accused them of doing, but by simply repeating the formula of gimmicky lyrics and catchy riffs that got them noticed in the first place.

Their breakthrough hit, “Come Out and Play,” with the annoying yet indelible refrain “You gotta keep ‘em separated,” made them radio royalty, but all their ditties have a similar battle-cry-style silliness that for some reason strikes a chord with young fans.

Opening their new tour on Saturday at the Great Western Forum, the band played a set chock-full of energetic, familiar (if highly similar) hits, but lacked any real spark. The Offspring do have a knack for memorable melodies, and frontman Dexter Holland’s voice did sound strong, but neither he nor the rest of the group has much presence, and their attempt to compensate with an alley-like stage set and extra percussionists just wasn’t enough.

More entertaining was the swirling pit of shirtless boys that rarely stopped spinning while the band tore into tunes from their new release, “Conspiracy of One,” as well as earlier albums. Tellingly, they encored with their jab at white-boy rap-stylers, “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).” They may not be riding that particular bandwagon, but the one they’re on isn’t any more original.

The bill also featured the similarly peppy MxPx and hip-hop hellions Cypress Hill, whose bouncy raps and thick grooves should have made the headliners wary of following them on stage.