1. Sure and Certain
2. I Will Steal You Back
3. Big Casino
4. For Me This is Heaven
5. Futures
6. Polaris
7. Pain
8. Pass the Baby
9. Kill
10. Get Right
11. Lucky Denver Mint
12. It Matters
13. Always Be
14. Hear You Me
15. Love Never
16. If You Don’t, Don’t
17. Dizzy
18. Blister
19. Work
20. 23
21. Bleed American
22. A Praise Chorus
23. Sweetness
24. The Middle
A large portion of who I’ve become is because of the music I’ve listened to. The most defining years were spent in high school, when we are the most easily shaped and influenced by our surroundings, and I made sure that I surrounded myself with concerts and record stores and any other medium of music. My high school years were also spent during a very magical time in music: the late 90s into the early 00s. Enter Jimmy Eat World. Jimmy Eat World epitomized the world I lived in. Just enough edge to be considered punk. Just enough light heartedness to be considered pop. Just enough sadness to be considered emo. Their 2001 album Bleed American was not only a huge part of my life, but every teenager that ever turned on a radio or MTV (and yes, both of those actually existed and were prominent). With four chart topping singles, Jimmy Eat World dominated the music scene. So when my friend messaged me that Jimmy Eat World would be playing Brooklyn Steel, of course I told her I’d go. But it sold out. We were beyond bummed. But Jimmy Eat World never disappoints and added a second night. We quickly grabbed tickets, and thankfully we did because that night sold out too. I wasn’t surprised. Even though Jimmy Eat World hasn’t released an album since 2016 and most people remember them by their popular 2001 and 2004 albums, nostalgia is a highly motivating factor. I had the privilege of enjoying the first night of their sold out shows in Brooklyn and couldn’t have been more impressed. Opening that night was a talent I had never heard of but was thoroughly mesmerized by, Alex Lahey. She’s an Australian singer-songwriter who’s caught the attention of some big names and press. Her album I Love You Like a Brother was cited by Spin Magazine as one of their 13 "Favorite Overlooked Albums of 2017". Backed by her band, she played songs from her debut album and 2016 EP B-Grade University. You can check out Alex when she headlines Bowery Ballroom on August 7th.
Jimmy Eat World then took the stage, and the crowd, by storm. The sold-out crowd made their presence known with defining screams. Immediately kicking into high gear with their 2016 single “Sure and Certain” from their album Integrity Blues, their energy was infectious. Singer Jim Adkins still knew how to captivate an audience and graciously thanked everyone for coming out to see them. He was genuine and sincere and the whole venue could feel that. In true veteran fashion, they played 24 songs, covering 6 of their 8 albums, which amazingly spans 25 years of music. They also treated the crowd to a new song, “Love Never”, which was recently released alongside another new song “Half Heart”. It’s nice to know that they’re still creatively putting together music, and if “Love Never” is any indication of what might be coming in the form of a new album, I know myself and everyone else that has heard these new songs are beyond excited. The highlight of the night for me wasn’t a high paced and energetic single, but rather when the crowd got especially quiet for “Hear You Me,” a soft and melodic tune that was written in honor of some friends that had passed away early in their career. The song has a special place in my heart, and tears filled my eyes as the crowd softly sang along. As the night came to an end, they closed with “Bleed American,” “A Praise Chorus,” “Sweetness,” and “The Middle” from their aforementioned biggest album, Bleed American, and the crowd went nuts. Jimmy Eat World will always be a band that I will go see. When I went to work the next day, tired but with a smile on face, everyone wanted to know what I had done the night before. When I told them I had witnessed the great Jimmy Eat World, I was met with “I love that band! I wish I had known! Are they playing again? I’m so bummed I missed them!” – Jimmy Eat World will always be music royalty.
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