Can you believe the Offspring still live in Orange County 25 years after they first formed, 16 years since the band were a household name with hits such as “Come Out and Play” and “Self Esteem”? Which illustrates two things: some places just breed punk misfits, and some of those places have really good school districts. In a July OC Weekly story, front man Bryan “Dexter” Holland says “everyone was kind of bored” when he was growing up in 1980s OC. “The houses and yards were all the same. There was a sense of oppression, a creepy side to Orange County.” That boredom became the fodder for feelings of frustration and aggression—and once packaged into three-chord songs belted at high volume, it translated into gold-record success for the Offspring. The band are still performing and drawing giant crowds at places such as the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, which shows the Huntington Beach-based band know that home is where your music is: Holland has a recording studio, D-13; a music label, Nitro Records; and hot-sauce company, Gringo Bandito, all within county limits.
