Opening Pulse
The alternative rock revival thundered through Inglewood as iHeartRadio’s ALTter EGO stormed the Kia Forum. Framed by legacy headliners and sharp newcomers, the showcase captured the momentum driving this alternative rock revival across streaming, radio, and festival stages.
Icon Status Confirmed
Green Day set the tone with combustible precision. “American Idiot” cracked open a barrage of ’90s and 2000s staples, reaffirming their grip on sing-along punk spectacle. They pulled a fan onstage for “Know Your Enemy,” turning chart history into communal catharsis. That interplay is why their catalog keeps cycling back up algorithms and arenas alike.
Sublime’s Next Chapter
Sublime returned with Jakob Nowell at the helm, honoring a lineage while steering forward. Performing on crutches, he still sparked the crowd, underscoring ska rock’s resilient groove economy. The new single “Ensenada” extended the band’s story, while a moment of silence honored Bob Weir, tying punk-ska lineage to jam tradition. It was a poignant pivot within an otherwise high-octane bill.
Backstage Energy
Presented by Capital One and hosted by Woody of The Woody Show, the night moved briskly between eras. Good Charlotte’s first Los Angeles show in more than a decade felt like a curtain-lift on pop-punk’s renewed relevance. Cage the Elephant arrived battle-tested from a North American run with Oasis, sharpening their wiry swagger for bigger rooms. Twenty One Pilots added personal stakes as Tyler Joseph marked Josh Dun’s first show since becoming a father, a soft-focus note amid sharp rhythms.
Highlights
Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Sublime
Bud Gaugh, Jakob Nowell and Eric Wilson of Sublime backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Good Charlotte
Benji Madden of Good Charlotte performs onstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Gigi Perez & Mt. Joy
Gigi Perez (center) with Jackie Miclau, Sotiris Eliopoulos, Matt Quinn, Michael Byrnes and Sam Cooper of Mt. Joy backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Twenty One Pilots
Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath
Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Cage the Elephant
Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant performs onstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Good Charlotte
Joel Madden and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Almost Monday
Cole Clisby and Dawson Daugherty of Almost Monday perform onstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Green Day
Mike Dirnt of Green Day at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Mt. Joy
Sam Cooper, Matt Quinn and Jackie Miclau of Mt. Joy perform onstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
No Doubt’s Adrian Young & Tony Kanal
Adrian Young and Tony Kanal of No Doubt backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Sublime
Jakob Nowell of Sublime performs onstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Loren
Loren backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Gigi Perez
Gigi Perez performs onstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Almost Monday
Luke Fabry, Cole Clisby and Dawson Daugherty of Almost Monday backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Cage the Elephant
Matthan Minster, Brad Schultz, Daniel Tichenor, Matt Shultz, Jared Champion and Nick Bockrath of Cage the Elephant backstage at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO 2026 held at the Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Why It Matters
ALTter EGO distilled a decade’s arc of radio programming into one celebratory blast. The alternative rock revival now blends heritage powerhouses with agile newcomers, yielding cross-generational crowds and sticky setlists. The format thrives when stages look like playlists, and this bill proved that alignment.
Final Chord
From Green Day’s jet-fueled anthems to Sublime’s evolving narrative, the night amplified the alternative rock revival. These performances felt like a roadmap for where alt goes next, and why it keeps circling back to the Forum.
