Discernibly different from the line-ups of recent years, Los Angeles' famous call letters in KROQ set an important precedent with their annual holiday arena show at The Kia Forum over the weekend. The Almost Acoustic Christmas has become a rock music tradition for fans in and around Southern California and for the 2025 edition, programming and production rolled out the red carpet for a roster that leaned heavily into the rock - touting a run of show that featured heavyweights like Evanescence, Papa Roach and Rise Against at the very top.
Among the reasons KROQ remains the most recognized call letters in radio, the West Coast staple have a well-established history as tastemakers, breaking bands that are among the biggest in the space ranging from contemporaries to legends. That was reiterated throughout the night as icons like Mike Ness from Social Distortion talked about being all of 19 years old, working at a porn shop in Fullerton and sneaking a six-pack to listen to himself for the first time being played on the radio by Rodney on the Roq some 45 years ago - before roaring into the ageless "Story of My Life".
That legacy of rock was again emphasized during Third Eye Blind's stage time as frontman Stephan Jenkins took a brief pause to reiterate to the fans, "A long time ago, when our first record came out, KROQ started playing it and all these years later, they have never, ever stopped." The preface would make for added emphasis as Jenkins then led a singalong with the 90's alt anthem, "Jumper".
Adding to the common thread of rock that resonated throughout the night, punk stalwarts Rise Against took the opportunity to close out their set with a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Finishing their time with their mammoth hit "Savior," the band broke in to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" as Tim Mcllrath howled into the microphone, "Long live Ozzy Osbourne."
Among the evening most energized sets, Papa Roach launched a greatest hits set crammed into a concise radio showcase that reminded the entire arena the band is still at the very top of their game. Revisiting essentials from their lauded Infest album, tracks like "Blood Brothers," "Between Angels and Insects," "Dead Cell" and the forever hit "Last Resort" ignited the arena and proved a vital reassertion of the power of a great rock show.
The evening also underscored KROQ's generational reach across various ages of rock. On an evening that saw memorable sets from the likes of indie rock darlings Wet Leg and surging pop punk collective The Paradox, the same audience exulted when Linda Perry took the stage for a surprise 4 NON BLONDES set that turned The Kia Forum into a 90's fever dream. Thanking KROQ for the hospitality and wishing the fans Merry Christmas, Perry lead a rendition of "What's Up" that sent warmth through the entire arena and spoke to vital role KROQ has had in platforming artists that go from rising stars to pillars that decades later remain relevant as ever.
Capping the important evening, Evanescence offered maybe the most powerful example of the night's revelry in rock. From contemporary hits like "Afterlife" and the collaboration with K. Flay in "Fight Like A Girl" to the band's enduring cuts like "My Immortal" and "Going Under," Amy Lee proved one of the genre's most commanding live forces as the band rallied an arena still filled with fans that had been locked in for hours. Closing with the anthem "Bring Me to Life" the band welcomed Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach for a finale that not only underscored the enduring shelf life of Evanescence, but reminded the arena that KROQ was at the radio forefront of it all.
See the gallery of images from the KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas below from photographer Sam Scarce.
EVANESCENCE
PAPA ROACH
RISE AGAINST
SOCIAL DISTORTION
THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS
THIRD EYE BLIND
WET LEG
YELLOWCARD
