By: Will McClain
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| Jimmy Eat World - Photo from Purevolume.com |
When Jimmy Eat World took the stage at First Avenue Monday night, it was to a different crowd than the ones they played for in their formative years of the early ‘90s—a dramatically different one, even, than they met when the national scene began to show them love in the early days of this millennium.
Musically, the pop-punk purveyors ran lean and polished as they hit the Twin Cities crowd with hit after well-crafted hit; the band's backdrop, like the band themselves, was a clean art deco piece that could easily have been fashioned by IKEA. Lead singer Jim Adkins and his band mates dressed neatly in black, reflecting today's high-fashion rock and roll consciousness.
The crew started things off with a razor sharp rendition of their latest hit "Big Casino" from 2007's /Chase This Light/. The chunky growls of their Orange amps quickly snapped to attention the crowd—a combination of longtime fans approaching 30 and the too-young-to-know-better Hollister set.
One wondered, in fact, why the audience did skew so young. It is no secret Jimmy Eat World craft superb pop hooks, full of coming-of-age sentiment and fury; tunes like the massive call-and-response "Sweetness" and the driving "Work" whipped the audience into a sweaty frenzy. But certainly there is something left for more seasoned fans in the band's intelligent, sometimes complex subject matter.
Jimmy Eat World's newer numbers, like Light's "Always Be" and "Dizzy" proved their ability to stand up against established fan favorites like "Praise Chorus," a love letter to indie rock. Adkins belted each tune with almost alarmingly clear and definitely impressive vocals, and lost himself in a silly, Paul McCartney head swagger during the heat of his bubblier numbers.
It seems it is this ability to deliver anthems of urgency and possibility, like "Pain," in an ever-adolescent wail, but with sincerity that grabs younger listeners and doesn't let go. Even those who have moved on from their younger days look back longingly on old flames and ancient heartbreaks. The cynical amongst the crowd looked long and hard for a hint of pretension in this well-packaged band, but they couldn’t find it.
This tour stop was another in a long string of dates from the compulsively touring band. Those looking to verify street cred would be interested to know Jimmy Eat World has often self-produced and financed its albums, electing at times to work without a record label.
After a lengthy, career-spanning set in the muggy First Ave main room, the band came back for a four-song encore including the too-sad acoustic number "May Angels Lead You In" and fan favorite "The Middle."
Jimmy Eat World's concert was a strong showing from a band whose members aren't the most unforgettable musicians you've ever seen, but who are OK with that. Likewise, it wasn't the most earth-shattering show you've ever seen, just enjoyable. And for those young, eager fans looking ahead and for those who've been there, done that, some words of hope from the band: “I'll tell you something else that you ain't died enough to know, there's still some living left when your time comes and goes.”
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Jimmy Eat World
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