OASIS TURN THE ROSE BOWL INTO BRITPOP HEAVEN WITH HISTORIC REUNION SHOW
PHOTOS BY JOE CALIXTO
Going to a concert is always memorable, but a sold-out Oasis show at the Rose Bowl felt like something bigger: a pilgrimage to Britpop heaven. Sixteen years after their 2009 breakup, the Gallagher brothers finally reunited, and under a glowing full moon in Pasadena, the atmosphere bordered on biblical.
From the moment you stepped into the stadium, the energy was electric. Swarms of fans flooded the venue in Adidas stripes, soccer jerseys, bucket hats, and Oasis logos as far as the eye could see. The Oasis starter pack was alive and well: gin and tonic in hand, cigarettes and alcohol fueling the night, and your best lad right by your side.
To Brits, Oasis are hometown kings. To Americans, they’ve always felt like legends from across the Atlantic — mythical figures whispered about in stories, like something out of a film. In Los Angeles, the hype had been bubbling for months: a Hollywood Boulevard pop-up shop, endless chatter all summer, and now two completely sold-out nights at the Rose Bowl.
The evening kicked off with a punch. Cast and Cage the Elephant tore through high-energy sets, priming the crowd for the main event. But when Oasis finally walked on stage, time froze. Liam strutted out in his iconic parka and shades, Noel at his side, the two brothers embodying both their contradictions and their shared swagger. Cheeky and cool, aloof yet magnetic — larger than life, exactly as you hoped they’d be.
The setlist was stacked. Every anthem was accounted for, but the magic came in the deeper cuts; B-sides like “Talk Tonight” and “Half the World Away.” When “Talk Tonight “rang out, it was more than a song: written during a near-implosion in the ’90s, it now carried the weight of a reunion decades later. Seeing Liam and Noel deliver it side by side felt surreal, as if the music itself had healed the rift. The crowd sang every word, thousands of voices carrying the weight of years gone by.
And it wasn’t just the Gallaghers. The band was rounded out by Andy Bell of shoegaze heroes Ride, longtime Oasis guitarist Gem Archer, and original member Bonehead. Together, the lineup didn’t feel like a nostalgia trip; it felt like Oasis reborn, sharper and tighter than ever.
The finale was nothing short of cinematic. Fireworks exploded into the Pasadena sky as Champagne Supernova soared, the Rose Bowl lit up in one euphoric roar. It was the kind of ending that makes you believe in rock ’n’ roll again.
Now comes the inevitable post-concert melancholy, fighting the urge to look back in anger and instead look forward with hope. For a few hours, a stadium full of strangers became best mates, bonded by songs that defined the ’90s and still resonate today. These are the nights, and this is the music, that will live forever. Cheers.
