Papa Roach rocks Golden 1 Center with roaring hometown return show

The Sacramento Kings lost decisively on March 29, but the Golden 1 Center still felt like a place of triumph.

Instead of the usual purple victory beam, the arena lit up with pyrotechnics as Papa Roach — one of the biggest rock acts to emerge from the Sacramento area — took the stage in what felt like a musical slam dunk.

The Golden 1 Center welcomed Papa Roach for a hometown show, their biggest local headlining gig to date. The band emerged from Vacaville in the 1990s, immersed itself in Sacramento’s club scene and then rocketed to stardom — to the tune of over 20 million albums sold worldwide. Its current Rise of the Roach tour commemorates the 25th anniversary of “Infest,” the band’s breakout album.

For the Sacramento show, Papa Roach wore its hometown pride onstage and on its merchandise. A custom tour T-shirt name-dropped key local venues where the band once played, including the former Bojangles on Folsom Boulevard, the Crest Theatre and Ace of Spades.

Backstage before the show, band members reflected on how far they’d come. After more than 30 years together, the band is more popular than ever and traveling the world on its first tour as arena headliners. Coming back to its Sacramento proving grounds like this — in front of family, friends, fellow musicians and thousands of fans — was a moment decades in the making.

“I like to tell myself it’s just like any other night but it’s totally not,” said singer Jacoby Shaddix backstage before the show. “A hometown show is such a big deal in so many ways. My heart is stirring when I talk about it ... I’ve been in this room, watched other bands perform, and I’ve always envisioned myself on that stage. To be here tonight is just so special.”

Brian McKenna, who booked many of the band’s early local gigs, watched with pride. He helped schedule shows at Big Shots in Roseville, the Crest, and a long-ago opening slot for Kid Rock at the Colonial Theatre.

McKenna recalled Papa Roach’s beginnings as rap-metal newcomers grinding their way through small clubs.

“It made me proud to see them command such a big stage and audience,” said McKenna. “They’ve been able to keep churning out hit songs over the years, some of which really strike a chord with people going through heavy times. It was a great show.”

March marked a full-circle moment for Sacramento’s rock scene. On March 1, Deftones played a sold-out homecoming show at Golden 1 Center. Papa Roach paid homage by incorporating a snippet of Deftones’ “My Own Summer (Shove It)” into its set — a nod to the band that once inspired them to aim higher.

“Seeing a band like Deftones ... we would open up (for them) and see them leave the hometown and get a record deal was very inspiring for us,” said bassist Tobin Esperance.

“We looked up to Deftones as like bigger brothers,” added guitarist Jerry Horton. “Seeing them get signed and climb that ladder made us believe, ‘Hey we can do it.’”

Papa Roach’s 90-minute set was filled with the band’s hard rock staples, including “Angels and Insects,” “Dead Cell” and “Getting Away With Murder.” The night also carried a deeper message. Proceeds from the tour benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and a PSA aired mid-set before the band launched into its hit power ballads “Leave a Light On” and “Scars.”

Overall, Papa Roach performed like the band on a perpetual Monster Energy rush. At one point, Shaddix bolted from the stage and ended up in the thick of Section 108 with his wireless mic. He spotted Dave Shults, the band’s road manager during the mid-1990s, pulling him into a tight bear hug as the crowd cheered and jockeyed for cellphone pics.

“Suddenly seeing Jacoby next to me was such a shock,” said Shults after the show. “My head went into a swirl of old memories with ‘my kids,’ being young and what life was like back then – all of the teen centers, pizza places and cheap motels. It was surreal.”

From Sacramento, the band will spend most of the year on tour, while dipping into studios to work on new material. A new Papa Roach album is expected in the months ahead.

But the night went on following the show-closing “Last Resort,” as the band members held court at an afterparty. The guest list ran deep with the family members, the group’s former managers and friends from throughout the 916 and 707 area codes. Shaddix, who lives in Sacramento, is also well known on the local field hockey circuit given his kids’ involvement with the sport. Some of those team parents were there, too.

For Papa Roach, the winning streak doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon.