Saturday, April 20, 2019

227 -- Jimmy Eat World -- Tuesday, July 10, 2018 -- The National -- Richmond, VA

Chip Roberts, Kyle Clinch, and Hannah Fuerhoff are excellent hosts.  They provided the bed, libations, and enthusiasm needed for a Tuesday show.  This wasn’t just any Tuesday show however.  This was the most extreme work-week show I’ve been to – or at least tied with this one, also one of Jimmy Eat World’s.

To make it there that night, I needed to bolt directly from camp – the camp that was the most relentless 37-day experience of my life.  The plan was to leave at 5pm, marinate in 3.5 hours of I-95 traffic, and see the show.  Then I’d try to sleep before leaving for camp at 5am the next day!  Outrageous as the whole plan was, it was 100% worth it.  See the live blog below for what made it worth it...



--- This is not off to a good start. “Sure and Certain” sounds awful.  The vocal is weak, and the audio is worse.

--- “I Will Steal You Back” off Damage is vaguely better.  At least the rhythm’s an improvement.  Hopefully they’re eating all the bad vegetables first?

--- “Big Casino”!!  Glad this NJ success story from the deserts of Arizona made it to Richmond. 

--- Jim Adkins: “We have nine albums of material to get through.  Hope you tipped your babysitter.”  HA!

--- “Goodbye Sky Harbor” has a strong rhythm I never noticed because the album version has 10-plus minutes of that infernal bell.  This mostly bell-free version is so much better!!!

--- “Futures” rips from the start!

--- “Polaris.”  Nice that they’re picked lesser known tracks for big fans.

--- “Painnnnn”!!!  It’s way more internal than usual, given the space and the people around me, but it’s still good.

--- Chip to Kyle: “They’re awesome live.” :))))

--- “Pass The Baby.”  Creepy cool becomes straight-up cool.  Just as memorable as it was with Erik Kastman!!!!

--- “Just Tonight” kills too.  They are in the zone.

--- “Get Right” is solid — for a new song.  They deserve points for the abrupt ending.

--- Another new one, “It Matters.”  The title, sadly, is not accurate.

--- “Always Be” is an improvement.

--- HA at them gifting their birthday-boy keyboardist a bottle of water.  “We’re the lamest rock band ever.”

--- “Hear You Me”’s chill hits the spot.

--- “Love Never,” a brand new song, is catchy.  I can see why Kyle is into them live.

--- “Thinking, That’s All,” off Static Prevails!  The rhythm shifts and green darkness rock!!

--- “The Authority Song”: another deep cut works!!

--- “Dizzy” leaves me way too stable.  Redeemed by the end.

--- “Blister” and “Work”!!!  Outstanding pacing.  Call-and-response for the win.

--- I honestly don’t want this to end.

--- “23” drifts...yet slays by the end?!

--- “Bleed American”!!!!!  By far the most intense reaction I’ve seen a crowd give a Jimmy Eat World song.  The leaping, pounding, and vibration.

“Hell yeah, we’re going to play more.”

“A Praise Chorus” continued the utter RIOT.  The lyrics bring me back to the Kevyn Allgeier show, the Hark show, and the wedding.  “Sweetness” and “The Middle” bring it home.   

Grade: A+ [their first ever]

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