Heavy on funk and guitar work by Einzinger that was unabashedly influenced by the metal band Primus, Incubus gained a reputation for its high-energy stage performances and was playing iconic Los Angeles venues such as The Roxy, The Troubadour and The Whiskey before the boys had finished high school.

Incubus’ sound developed in the subsequent 20 years and the group has evolved from the crunchy funk metal of the 1990s to a wide mix of psychedelic overtures, bare-bones machine-gun rock and even power ballads and radio-friendly pop hits.

Since Incubus’ first stop in Jakarta in 2008, the band released Monuments and Melodies in 2009, a collection of greatest hits, B-sides and a few new songs, and If Not Now, When? on July 12 of this year, its first studio album since 2006’s Light Grenades, which debuted at number one in the US.

This year’s tour promoting their most recent studio album – a calmer, more reflective offering than their previous five albums – would have likely left loyal concert crowds wanting more. But Incubus made it clear from the first song that, despite returning from a long hiatus with what Boyd called an “unabashed, romantic, lush, sonic love letter to the world”, they were still the same Incubus fans had loved for so many years.

The show opened with “Megalomaniac” from the 2004 album A Crow Left of the Murder. It’s pounding rhythm and harsh chorus, in which Boyd all but screams a one-note social manifesto while the rest of the band explodes in no-frills metal behind him, set the tone and showed that Incubus had not forgotten their roots.

The band followed up with the power ballad “Wish You Were Here”, a single from 2001’s Morning View, “Consequence” and “Pardon Me” from Make Yourself, released in 1999.

As the band worked into the heart of the set, playing “Anna Molly” and “Love Hurts” from Light Grenades and “Circles” from Morning View, it became clear that the show would be more of a greatest hits parade than a presentation of their latest music – a turning point for any band that is still evolving yet dependent on satisfying the loyalty of longtime fans.

It wasn’t until the ninth song that Incubus gave the Senayan crowd a taste of If Not Now, When?.

“Promises Promises”, a light-rock exploration of flighty romance and the ever-present commitment dilemma, was about as substantial as its subject matter, but the crowd – true to fanatic form – knew all the words.

However, the highlight of the show was the lesser-known “Look Alive”. The band’s enthusiasm for the rare track was immediately evident. Kenney held his bass guitar at his collar, shaking his head and wagging his tongue while his fingers flew across the frets.

From the get go, the rapid-fire staccato, fueled by Pasillas’ wound-up precision on the drums, was good old fashioned rock colored by Incubus’ trademark flair for funk and venom.

After the anti-climactic “Promises”, Incubus dipped back into the time capsule for “The Warmth” and “Drive”, two of their biggest hits from the late 1990s.

“Isadore”, a power ballad from If Not, was sandwiched between “Rogues” and “Glass”, two hard and fast tracks from Light Grenades and the 1997 album S.C.I.E.N.C.E., respectively, and followed by the radio-friendly “Talk Shows on Mute”.

“Adolescents”, also from If Not, showed that Incubus was still not afraid to write songs with epic sweeps and heavy riffs.

Incubus finished the main set with the title track from A Crow Left of the Murder.

They greeted the crowd for a brief encore, opening with “In the Company of Wolves”, a song that swayed from breezy rock to a shadowy narrative atmosphere and created a theatrical element that the concert had otherwise gone without.

Before bowing out to rousing applause, Incubus gave their fans one final thank you with their crowd-pleasing fire-and-ice metal ballad “Nice to Know You”.

The concert was a technically solid presentation of traditional Incubus crowd pleasers with just enough new music and obscure tracks to keep things interesting. The band showed why it rose to stardom for its energy on stage and nearly flawless live performance. Boyd’s vocals never faltered and his clear voice was strong throughout the night.

Local Jakarta rockers Good Morning Alice won the chance to open for Incubus in a battle of the bands in June. The three best bands were recommended to Incubus by the concert promoters and Incubus made the decision to select Good Morning Alice as their opening act.

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