Kevin Bronson on October 6th, 2017

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The fare for opening night at Irvine’s new FivePoint Amphitheatre was home cooking, and three bands with O.C. roots served it up, christening the 12,000-capacity outdoor venue.

Irvine Mayor Don Wagner was actually the opening act — he told the early crowd that the venue was an “interim” facility, filling the void left by the shuttered Irvine Meadows, and that something larger was in the city’s future. The evening ended with a headlining set from Irvine’s own Young the Giant, whose 18 songs started with their own “Amerika” and included a cover of “American Girl” in tribute to the Tom Petty. They saved their breakout single, “My Body,” for the finish.

Cold War Kids preceded YTG with a career-spanning, 15-song set that highlighted the old (2006’s “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds” and 2008’s “Something Is Not Right With Me”) and the new (“Love Is Mystical” and “So Tied Up” from this year’s “LA Divine,” released in April).

Sir Sly opened the night.

Photos by Lexi Bonin