One of the most common questions you might get when choosing to see the same artist multiple times is, “Don’t you get bored?” or maybe when you let someone know you’re seeing your favorite band, they just ask, “Again?” Maybe these questions are becoming less common now in the era of surprise songs and setlist changes, but those aren’t the only reasons to see a band you love over and over. Every show is different, whether it’s just the venue or the crowd or the weather — a hundred little things go into what makes a show special, and each element can shift an entire night.
We were lucky enough to catch Jimmy Eat World play three headlining shows in a row between their recent festival dates, and we had a front row seat to all those small changes. Somehow, we left these shows even bigger fans than before, hyper-aware of the beautiful community that Jimmy Eat World has built over the last 32 years.
Night One: North Carolina
The first show in our three show run was on Sunday, May 11th at Cat’s Cradle. With a 750 person max capacity, Cat’s Cradle has been a legendary venue in Carrboro since it first opened in 1969. It was pouring rain that morning, but that didn’t stop numerous fans from traveling from out of state and lining up early to see Jimmy Eat World play at this specific venue. Those who had arrived early huddled under the protective cover of a tree, trading friendship bracelets and stories from past shows. The long wait for doors breezed by as everyone listened to the bands’ soundcheck and talked about what might end up on the setlist. When the doors finally opened, the venue filled quickly. It was a sold-out show, and even before the music started, the venue was nearly full and the energy was palpable.
The opener for this particular run of the tour was Timmy Skelly. Timmy describes his own genre on Spotify as “midwest y’allternative,” and his set certainly delivered. In Carrboro, performing for a crowd that was already buzzing, he and his band absolutely brought the house down. Their joy just from being there was infectious. They had great chemistry and beautiful harmonies — with every impressive high note, sporadic whoops filled the crowd. By the time they went offstage, the audience could hardly contain their excitement.
With the venue loud and ready, Jimmy Eat World walked out to welcome the fans with smiles and waves. The stellar 21 song set kicked off with “Pain,” their biggest single from their album Futures. As the first chorus hit, you could hear every single fan in the room screaming along with Jim Adkins (vocals/lead guitar). The intense energy from both Jimmy Eat World and the crowd continued into “Just Tonight,” also from Futures — but it kicked up another notch when Jim played the opening chords of “Sweetness,” a timeless song from their album Bleed American.
At one point, Jim said, “We’ve got songs from all kinds of fucking albums that we’re going to play tonight,” and he wasn’t lying. This setlist acted as a cohesive palette that showcased the bands’ hits, high energy songs, and deep cuts that haven’t had room in live shows in years.
Jimmy Eat World walked offstage after their iconic hit “The Middle” for a quick break before coming back to play the encore. Anticipation was looming throughout the crowd as Jim Adkins and Tom Linton (rhythm guitar/backing vocals) smirked at each other and plugged in their guitars one final time. Jim thanked the crowd again by saying, “We appreciate you no matter where you came in on our musical journey. This next one is for the fans that have been here since 1996.” A thunderous roar erupted in the crowd as they started to play “Call It In The Air,” a deep cut from their sophomore album, Static Prevails. Fans of Jimmy Eat World know how rare it is to experience a song live from Static Prevails, which made this moment all the more special. Tom and Jim traded off vocal parts while embracing the youthful and punky spirit of the song, Zach Lind (drums) played through the song so eloquently that you would’ve thought that this song had been a part of every single show they had played up until now. “Call It In The Air” seamlessly transitioned into “The World You Love” — the official closer of the set.
Aside from being a journey through the band’s discography, this setlist also told a thematic story. By opening with “Pain” and including a number of other straightforward songs about the difficulties of our current political climate (“Criminal Energy,” “Nothing Wrong”), the band didn’t shy away from admitting to the struggles of being a human in this world or a band on tour. However, by ending the set on the notably more optimistic (if bittersweet) “The World You Love,” they reflected on the ways that live music can bring people together and help them find community — not just in their own experiences, but also for everyone in the room each night, finding a temporary escape through music.
Before they walked offstage, all the members of Jimmy Eat World took their time to throw out guitar picks, drum sticks, and setlists to fans, while clearly soaking up every moment of playing at Cat’s Cradle again after 25 years. The band has grown so much as artists since the last time they played the venue, and it seemed like they were revisiting and embracing their past simultaneously throughout the set. As Jim himself said after the band played “Sweetness,” “…We actually played at this venue 25 years ago, and coming back to play [here] again all these years later means more to us than you guys will ever know. There are definitely a lot more people here now than there were 25 years ago… Thank you all so much for everything.”
Night Two: South Carolina
The second show we attended was on Tuesday, May 13th at The Senate in Columbia, South Carolina. The Senate’s max capacity taps out at 1200 people, slightly bigger than Cat’s Cradle in North Carolina. It was a humid and hot day, but fans were still eagerly lining up a few hours before doors opened at the venue. On this particular day, a family –- two parents and their daughter — joined the line early to make sure their daughter would be able to enjoy her first ever rock show. The little girl received tips and tricks from her parents and other friends throughout the day, and she easily made her way to the barricade once the doors opened.
This venue’s stage was not much wider than the one at Cat’s Cradle, but it was significantly shorter, which made this show feel smaller and more intimate.
When Jimmy Eat World took the stage that night to play a spectacular 20 song setlist, the humidity in the venue started to settle in. They once again opened with “Pain,” but before the first chorus could even commence, a mosh pit started to form — a sight that made bassist Rick Burch smile from ear to ear. By the time Jim Adkins started to play the opening notes of the fourth song of the set, “Something Loud,” the air was already hot and thick, but that didn’t stop the band from giving this set just as much energy as they had two nights before.
There’s never been a show where you could feel “Bleed American” so viscerally. In a room so small and humid it felt like the walls were dripping with sweat, as the song rose to its crescendo with the guitar solo, the entire crowd seemed to move as one. As you sang along, you could feel the grit of the line, “salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt,” between your teeth. No matter how many times you’d seen it before, this performance was different — partly just because of the sheer energy of the crowd.
When Jimmy Eat World returned to play the encore, they only had one song rather than two. The band skipped “Call It In The Air,” (the deep cut from Static Prevails that they played two nights prior) and ended the night simply by playing “The World You Love.”
That encore culminated in a particularly special moment. Rick’s face lit up onstage, and everyone at the front of the crowd turned around to find bubbles drifting from the ceiling. Apparently, at least according to Jim after the show, the venue decided to add the bubbles to production without letting the band know. The surprise hit for the crowd just as well as it clearly had for Rick. People laughed, reached up their hands, smiled and tipped up their heads, all while the band played on. ”Don’t it feel like sunshine after all?” Jim sang — and in that moment, as the crowd sang it back, it truly, truly did.
Night Three: Tennessee
The third and final show that we attended was on Wednesday, May 14th at The Signal in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With The Signal’s max capacity being 1500 people, it was the biggest venue for the three show run we’d embarked on.
Since the setlist was the same exact one that Jimmy Eat World played at Cat’s Cradle, one could easily assume that this show didn’t have anything different to bring to the table, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When Jim introduced Tom as “everyone’s favorite Jimmy Eat World member” right before the band started to play Clarity fan-favorite “Blister,” the crowd let out a number of cheers in anticipation to hear Tom showcase his lead vocals. I have been to a number of Jimmy Eat World shows, and I have never heard a crowd sing “Blister” as loud as it did at this show. The energy was infectious to the point that when “Blister” concluded, Jim looked at Tom and shouted, “FUCK YEAH TOM!” causing the venue to erupt in a roar. The support that the members of Jimmy Eat World have for each other couldn’t have been more evident in that moment.
Similar to “Blister,” when it came to the time for “A Praise Chorus” to be played, Jim stated, “I know y’all left your homes tonight wanting to have a good time, so let’s really make sure we have a blast with this next one!” Zach started the iconic drum opening for “A Praise Chorus” and the entire venue shrieked in excitement. The floor practically vibrated every time Jim repeated the line, “I’m on my feet, I’m on the floor, I’m good to go.”
Though the entire crowd was clearly sad to see the show end, there couldn’t have been a better way to say goodbye than one final double whammy of “Call It In The Air,” followed by “The World You Love.”
When you see a band in concert, you learn a lot of things about that band and the community they have built. You can sense how the band members get along both on and off the stage by their interactions with one another. You see how the fans interact with one another before, during, and after the show. Most importantly, you see how the band and fans interact. When you have a band that’s been together for a long time, the relationship that band has with their fans is something very intimate and special. Jimmy Eat World happens to be one of those bands that have had a continuously deep and healthy relationship with their fans for 32 years. Regardless of who is in the crowd, what size the venue is, or what the setlist is, no element changes Jimmy Eat World’s connection with their fans at every show.
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All photos appear courtesy of Fox Nichols and Bekah Eiswald for Honorable Mention Magazine
