| JIMMY EAT WORLD - live in Auckland, April 13th, 2011. |
| Written by Sarah Mudgway |
| Friday, 15 April 2011 14:56 |
 "We’re really sorry it took us so long to get out here, but we’re happy you guys made it to the show." The massive applause which followed JIMMY EAT WORLD vocalist/guitarist Jim Adkins' apology to the sold-out audience at their first ever New Zealand gig was a great representation of just how painfully long kiwi fans had been waiting for this show. As one of the most influential bands in punk and rock circles, it’s been a long time coming - sixteen years to be exact - for the band’s debut appearance in New Zealand, and fans were treated to a twenty-three song set which incorporated a great mix of songs, both old and new. Opening with ‘Bleed American’ and moving straight into ‘A Praise Chorus’, the mosh-pit was moving and the sing-a-long's were loud. Unlike some of the recent shows at The Powerstation, it was great to see an audience fully in awe and in total appreciation of EVERY song the band chose to perform. Songs off their 2010 album 'Invented' such as ‘My Best Theory’ and ‘Coffee And Cigarettes’ may not have been met with as much enthusiasm as classic Jimmy Eat World anthems like ‘Lucky Denver Mint’ and ‘Your New Aesthetic’, but no matter what song the band were performing, it was met with loud applause and movement in the crowd. It has been a long time since I’ve seen the audience of an R18, heck, even an all-ages show react with as much energy and enthusiasm as what I witnessed for Jimmy Eat World... and it couldn’t have gone to a more deserving band.  Phoenix, Arizona-based singer-songwriter COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS made a great addition to the band's on-stage performance, and it was great hearing the newer tracks from 'Invented' such as ‘Evidence’ be performed just as it was recorded on the album. Her subtle backing vocals were the perfect compliment to those provided by guitarist TOM LINTON and bassist RICK BURCH, and was a nice cherry on the top of an already powerful performance. With minimal stage props - no backdrops or signs of any kind - Jimmy Eat World proved that if you’re a good enough of a band, the music and performance can speak for itself without any flashy stage gimmicks. ‘Let It Happen’ and ‘Futures’ proved to be hits with the audience, which was a fairly even split between both sexes, and covering at least two generations from the fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds to the old-school fans showcasing the longevity and wide appeal the band has established throughout their existence.  In all honesty, there are so many highlights from the concert that to cover them all and do any justice to them is near impossible. Words really can’t accurately describe how special that show was - there is not much more thrilling and heartwarming than watching a band perform so perfectly the songs which helped shaped my music-taste, alongside 1000+ others who appeared to be just as stoked on it as I was. From the guitar work in ‘Big Casino’ to the vocal talents of now-guitarist but ex-lead-vocalist Tom Linton during ‘Action Needs An Audience’ and ‘Blister’, the beautiful harmonies of ‘Hear You Me’ and the raw talent of Jim Adkins' voice soaring through the speakers for ‘23’... every single song was filled with as much musical magic as there was sweat dripping from Jim Adkins' sweat-soaked shirt - an endless supply. Closing their main set with a stunning performance of ‘Goodbye Sky Harbor’ - the sixteen-minute closer on their 'Clarity' album - it was great to see Adkins ditch his guitar part-way through and dance around on-stage with only a microphone in hand, tapping away on a Xylophone and looping harmony over harmony. Adkins may have been singing "I am just one small instrument..." but what he failed to mention, was that one small instrument located in his voice box is so incredibly powerful.  Returning to the stage for a three song encore, things kicked off with the title-track from their latest album ‘Invented'. Courtney Marie Andrews was able to showcase her strong voice within the female melodies of the track, and the building of intensity in the instrumentals was so much more moving live than it is on the album, creating a wall of sound when it reached its peak. ‘The Middle’ - one of Jimmy Eat World’s most widely recognized tracks - had the crowd back in mosh-mode and when the opening line of set closer ‘Sweetness’ was sung out by Adkins, it was met with an almost battle-cry response from the now overly excited and extremely sweaty audience. It really felt like a lot of dreams came true that night; the opportunity had finally arrived to cross off a ‘must-see-live’ band from many of the attendees list, and aside from the obvious desire to hear more songs, there really wasn’t much more that could have been asked for. I can’t finish this without mentioning how genuinely and mutually stoked the band appeared either - bassist Rick Burch would often be looking out at those in front of him with a huge grin upon his face and drummer ZACH LIND offered up many thank you's as well as taking his obligatory Twitpic of the crowd on his phone. For a show that had been a long time coming, Jimmy Eat World definitely made it worth the wait.  SETLIST: - Bleed American - A Praise Chorus - My Best Theory - Coffee And Cigarettes - Lucky Denver Mint - Your New Aesthetic - Let It Happen - Futures - Polaris - Big Casino - Dizzy - Action Needs An Audience - Pain - 23 - Evidence - For Me This Is Heaven - Hear You Me - Work - Blister - Goodbye Sky Harbor ENCORE: - Invented - The Middle - Sweetness Click HERE to read about Jimmy Eat World's Under 18 Soundcheck Party. Click HERE to view more live Jimmy Eat World photos.  |
