Show Review - Jimmy Eat World 11/4

Is it biased for someone like myself to review a concert of a band that I am a blatant fanboy for? Yes. Does this bother me? Absolutely not. I didn't get off of work until 7 pm and the show started at 8 and was on the campus of MSU. This sort of poses a problem when you are an hour and a half away from said venue. Needless to say, we got there a little late and missed the opening band, Viva Voce for those wondering. I'm all about giving bands I've never heard of a listen, but tonight was all about Jimmy Eat World to me and I wasn't really worried that we missed them. By the time we sat down in our seats, and we're getting settled down the lights went down and everyone in the crowd stood up.

"Good evening"

From the moment Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins spoke those words, the whole concert came and went like a hurricane of awesome. Saying very little inbetween songs, JEW jammed through a fantastic set list that brought with it a perfect mix of old and new. I expected to hear a lot of songs off the new album just because it was released almost a month ago, and that they were touring in support of it. What I didn't expect was all the Clarity love that they would bring with them.

What I also didn't expect was the complete lack of crowd participation the show would get. Being that it was held on a college campus, I figured the crowd would at least be loud due to being hammered out of their minds. Instead, as JEW blasted through song after song, I couldn't help but feel sorry for every bored face I saw in the crowd. These kids were being treated to an amazing show, and they just didn't appreciate it. Maybe its the elitist music snob in me, but most of the people there just didn't deserve to experience that show. To them, it was just another concert. One of my friends was sitting a few sections away from us, and she heard a kid say that the set would have been better if "they didn't play so much filler stuff from the older albums". If that kid ever reads this blog by chance, I want him to stop reading and punch himself in the face. The only time the crowd was even loud, or singing along were during the final two songs of the encore, Sweetness and The Middle (radio songs, what?). /snobbish rant

I had seen JEW 4 times previous, twice before Bleed American came out, and twice after and last nights show was one of the best set lists I've ever heard. It's very rare for a band to be so consistently good with each release that they have. JEW is one of those bands that I've pretty much grown up with since my awkward high school years up until now. Highlights of the set for me personally were Disintegration, For Me This Is Heaven, 23 (I actually closed my eyes and it gave me chills), and Carry You. All in all, fantastic show/terrible crowd. If this tour comes to a town near you, you would be absolutely crazy to miss a show this good. The full set list is below for those wondering.

1. Big Casino
2. A Praise Chorus
3. Crush
4. Work
5. Always Be
6. Blister
7. Lucky Denver Mint
8. Carry You
9. For Me This Is Heaven
10. Disintegration
11. Get It Faster
12. Firefight
13. Let It Happen
14. 23
15. Bleed American
16. Pain

Encore:
17. Your House (alternate version)*
18. Hear You Me
19. Polaris
20. Sweetness
21. The Middle

* They played a newer version of Your House. It was much more slowed down, and honestly I think I like it more than the original.

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