Irvine Meadows held its final concert on Sunday, October 30 with a show headlined by Gwen Stefani and supporting acts Young the Giant and Save Ferris on the line-up.
The venue, which opened in 1981, will now become apartments, because apparently there aren’t enough of those in the O.C. Irvine Meadows has hosted everything from Lollapalooza, Lilith Fair, 15 Grateful Dead Concerts, and annual Oingo Boingo Halloween concerts (1986-1991, and 1993), to Michael Jackson and many other artists. But don’t fret: Live Nation already has plans for a new venue next to the Great Park (the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station), which should open by Summer 2017.
It’s fitting to have a final concert lineup with artists that all hail from Orange County. Stefani (who has done well for herself after fronting No Doubt) is from Anaheim, while Save Ferris are from Orange County and Young the Giant call Irvine home.
Mother Nature must have been a fan of the lineup. It didn’t rain at all during the concert, though it was cool and crisp. Opening the show were the reunited Save Ferris, who are planning a new album for 2017. Next up was Young the Giant, who put on a great show (just like their recent House of Blues San Diego show).
Finally, Stefani put on a great performance, and her band and dancers were spot-on. There was also a great moment when she pulled a fan onstage and showed off her drawings to the crowd.
Photos: Gwen Stefani at Irvine Meadows Ampitheatre