Following the release of their new album, "Invented," Jimmy Eat World is now hitting the roads and the airwaves with a new world tour, appearing at concert venues across the globe from New York City to Munich, Germany.
One of their stops along the way was New York City's Terminal 5, where the alternative rock band played to a sold-out crowd.
The concert kicked off when Scottish rock band We Were Promised Jet Packs hit the stage at 8 p.m. The band was the perfect choice to get the crowd revved up for the main event. We Were Promised Jet Packs' breed of loud, pulsating rock music blended perfectly with Jimmy Eat World's own distinct brand of alternative rock. They set the scene for Jimmy Eat World within 30 minutes, wrapping it up with an encore song to satisfy the crowd's demand.
There are certain expectations when an established band like Jimmy Eat World takes the stage at Terminal 5, and Jimmy did not disappoint.
They opened their set with "Bleed American" the title song off their 2001 album, and the crowd appreciated that one of their older songs was given such a prominent position in the setlist. The lighting was impeccable and perfectly suited to the band's music and the space.
The band maintained a high level of energy throughout the show, but it admittedly took a while for the crowd to get pumped up. At some concerts, it is acceptable to just stand around and enjoy the music, but at Jimmy Eat World, you rush the stage expecting to jump, thrash, and move. Thanks to the leadership of a couple of enthusiastic Jimmy fans, the crowd eventually got suitably pumped for the fast paced, headbanging sounds of Jimmy Eat World.
The band played a number of songs off their new album, which the majority of the crowd seemed to have already listened to enough times to be able to sing along.
Off the "Invented" album, Jimmy played "My Best Theory," "Action Needs an Audience," "Coffee and Cigarettes," "Movielike," and "Evidence." The new songs sounded even better live than they did off the album, which is proof that Jimmy Eat World has earned the reputation they've built up over this past decade.
Despite the fact that Jimmy Eat World plugged their new album at the concert, they did not overwhelm their fans with new music. They played all the classic songs that fans want to hear. "Big Casino" off "Chase This Light" received an enthusiastic response from the crowd, particularly the line "I'm a New Jersey success story." Despite the fact that the show was in New York City, there were evidently a large number of New Jersey residents in attendance.
After a 19 song set, the band came back on for an encore. Jimmy wasn't going to take their bow without playing their most token hit "The Middle." They ended the concert with an electrifying line-up of "23," "Pain," "The Middle," and "Sweetness." At this point, no one was standing still. If anyone had walked into Terminal 5 indifferent to Jimmy Eat World, they didn't leave that way. If Jimmy maintains this level of energy at all of their shows both in the U.S. and overseas, then they will surely launch themselves back to front and center of the alternative rock scene.
Emily Lake can be reached at emily.lake@student.shu.edu.
