It was pretty surreal to think and feel all these things during the Asheville tour stop. And now, the songs are safe havens to soak into amid physical places and mental spaces when the world maybe is a little to real and heavy to cope with. These were melodies you had echoing from your bedroom stereo while making out with your girlfriend or boyfriend, the door opened a few feet to appease your parents. You could relate to these musicians that felt real things about real subjects that affected real life, and in real time.Įach of those songs on “Make Yourself” remain emblazoned on the walls of your heart and soul. What was so cool about Incubus in the late 1990s was that the people in the band looked like people that were at your local skate park or people that were in the back row of your middle or high school classroom. And yet, 20 years later, it's still a special thing to have a rock band playing real instruments, especially in a modern era of electronica DJs, hip-hop, pop and country music. Twenty years ago, it was a pretty special thing to have a real rock band play real instruments in music videos on MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) and on pop radio. Not to mention a time period before mass Internet availability/consumption and the advent of social media - this sweet spot of somewhat peace and quiet (and the usual adolescent boredom), as far as being a teenager in the United States was concerned.
This was 1999, five years after Kurt Cobain killed himself and two years before 9/11. With the 1999 release of “Make Yourself,” most of what was popular on TV and the radio were boy bands and sugary pop singers (or cheesy, cookie cutter emo/punk groups). In terms of record sales and radio play in the modern era, there aren't many mainstream rock acts with those kinds of numbers.īut, what was more awe-inspiring was the mere fact that Incubus came along at a time when mainstream rock bands were few and far between. Single-wise? Since 2000, they have racked up 14 Top 10 rock singles, with 11 Top 5 tracks and four #1.
Incubus has always proudly worn its influences on its sleeve, never once shying away from its seamless blend of rock, hip-hop and folk stylings.Īnd don't forget to take into account the stats on Incubus following the release of "Make Yourself." Since 2001, the band has six Top 5 Billboard albums (and one #6), including three #2 and one #1. The same could easily be said about the other radio hits the group radiated over the crowd further into the gig (“Warning,” “Anna Molly,” “Wish You Were Here”). Diving into the album itself, “Make Yourself” would still be a hit record today.
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