On February 25th a friend and I took a train down to Philly to see one of our most beloved bands. We grew up with Jimmy Eat World, a "heart"rock outfit from Mesa, AZ, so the show was centered around nostalgia, both for us and for the band. You see, Jimmy was touring to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their celebrated (and underrated) album Clarity. We were very lucky, and a little crazy to have gotten in, as all of the shows on the Clarity x 10 Tour had sold out within a month of the on sale dates. I had never been to the Troc before, but I found that it had a kitschy atmosphere with a touch of the skeevy. Perfect for intimate shows, even if they are sold out. Aside from the very tall man with messenger bag right in front of me, visibility was great. I was surprised at how close we actually got to the stage.
First up was opener Reuben's Accomplice, a five member band with an atypical female drummer. RA had a classic pop punk vibe, amplified by the Clarity-esque heartfelt lyrics and vocals. I was especially impressed with the group's ability to switch up, and play each other's instruments. Bass guy went to lead guitar, lead guitar went to accessory perc, accessory perc guy picked up a guitar, and everyone kept it awesome. I was more impressed than I thought I would be. However, during their set, it was pretty obvious that everyone in the venue was waiting for Jimmy.
I speculated for a second whether Jimmy would play the Clarity album straight through, as released, or whether they would mix it up, but as soon as Jim Adkins, Rick Burch, Tom Linton and Zach Lind started up "Table for Glasses", I knew it would all go in order, as released. Which was just about perfect. My friend and I knew every word to every song, as I'm almost positive every other audience member did. It was neat to see a variety of age demographics as I looked around. As Jimmy has been together since 1994, it makes sense that they would draw such a wide range. Highlights for me include: the chorus of "Your New Aesthetic" which determinedly screams "Take Back the Radio!", the whole song of "Believe in What You Want", the three song chill set of "Ten" (surprisingly good live), "Just Watch the Fireworks" (which was almost my prom theme!) and "For Me This is Heaven" (absolutely awesome instrumental bridge, band got super into it), and "Goodbye Sky Harbor".
Now, "Goodbye Sky Harbor" is normally 16 minutes long, with extensive looping and jangly guitar/synth dialogues. With a live performance, the band did live looping and recorded playback with lead singer Jim Adkins doing a nerdy dance with the mic. This was absolutely priceless. Though, it wasn't quite comical. It was Jim Adkins, just as he is. It was honestly pretty cool. It was a marvelous rendition.
The band took a quick break and returned with a unique second set, starting out with "What Would I Say to You Now", a driving and angsty oldie from 1998. I was surprised at the choice, but it worked, especially followed by "No Sensitivity", a great lost song I hoped I would hear. They continued with some better known material, including "Pain" and "Work" from Futures. The best song of the night, hands down, was "23". After announcing that they had a request, and that they hadn't played this song in a while, Jimmy launched into one of their most beautiful songs. I was ecstatic. Listen to it and you'll see why. Maybe.
The band closed with "Sweetness", one of their most popular songs. As we belted out the last few words to this accessible anthem, I smiled with an inward satisfaction. I have never been to a better concert. Whether due to nostalgia, familiarity with the band, or the fact that they simply are excellent showmen, it doesn't really matter. Whatever it was, something special was in the atmosphere of that show, and I felt it, to be sure.
Picture links:
http://sotsdisc.smugmug.com/gallery/7458968_MAPgE/1/481166369_mK6wj#481166369_mK6wj
- Brittany Eltman
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