Sunday, October 2, 2011

Jimmy Eat World @ The Wiltern. 9/29/11.


Time fucking flies doesn't it? Jimmy Eat World played a special Los Angeles show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough album, 2001's Bleed American. If you lived in the United States during the early 2000's, there's a good chance you heard songs like "The Middle," and "Sweetness" all over the radio and MTV (before reality shows took over). Hell, I remember working at Sam Goody and listening to this album on the store stereo system all day long. The song's were catchy, memorable but most of all powerful. Powerful enough that I still know all the lyrics a decade later. The jammin' songs rocked and the softer ballads were heartfelt but genuine. That's what I look for in music. That's my common ground between Slayer and Jimmy Eat World you know? Is it genuine? Bleed American is just that. Like the title says (never mind the post 9/11 censorship that saw the album changed to simply Jimmy Eat World for several years), this album literally bleeds raw emotion.

kickstart my rock 'n' rolling heart
So about the show. Sold out venue filled with rabid fans plus a set list consisting of the band's breakthrough album amounted to nothing short of pure awesomeness. They opened up with "Bleed American" and the next 50 minutes was like some kind of surreal form of time travel. All those years of air drumming in my car to "A Praise Chorus," all the memories goofing off at the record store singing "Sweetness" horribly out of key. From the bitter separations that prompted many listens of "Your House," and the playful nervousness I felt listening to "The Authority Song" and it's lyrics "I don't seem obvious do I?" with my girlfriend for the first time way back when.



Nostalgia is awesome and all, but all that mushy crap aside, the band just seriously rocked. You wouldn't know they've played these songs a million times before, the passion and energy they put into their performance was inspiring. Jim Adkins is really one of the most engaging frontmen I've seen. He just stands there and plays/sings his heart out. No tricks or stages moves or anything special, other than his genuine passion for being onstage.

The band returned and did a ten song encore that spanned the length of their career. Old gems such as "Goodbye Sky Harbor" and "Blister" mixed with newer material like "Big Casino" and "My Best Theory." People were talking about hopefully getting a Futures 10th anniversary show in 2014. The way the audience reacted when J.E.W. played "Work" "23" and "Pain" proved that they weren't joking around. I remember buying Futures at Tower Records like it was yesterday. Maybe because I got so used to writing the date on my homework back back in the 90's, but the thought of anything taking place in 2014 sounds absolutely frightening to me. Like I said before, time fucking flies. I'll still be listening to Bleed American though. Here's to that Futures anniversary gig fellas.


14 comments:

  1. It's awesome when you get to see a show, and it's somehow more than you expected when you expected nothing but the best. There are some artists out there that put on amazing shows. But I have to confess I really haven't heard much Jimmy Eat World.

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  2. Seen these guys at Tennent's Vital this year and they were class. I'm a big fan of this band, cool post buddy.

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  3. Oh heck yes! I would love to go see Jimmy Eats World! :D

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  4. So that's why I'm hearing about them again. This is awesome. I don't have as fond memories as you do, but I'd go to show if I could.

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  5. I was listening to The Middle today while baking a cake.

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  6. that was ten years ago? man....

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  7. Live music still is the best. And not some Britney Spears or Rihanna dancing arround, but a real band :)

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  8. Wow, it's really been that long?

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  9. was neveer really a fan of these guys, ther music sounds like radio filler imo

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  10. great band, didnt know they were still around

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  11. I like the insight you wrote, I'm checking them out. So far I like the youtube videos you posted.

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  12. i dunno, not my thing. either that or the streaming video/live clip audio was just to unbearable :(

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  13. Yep, the audio was unbearable but based on your description they sound good.

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