Jimmy Eat World – First Avenue – Minneapolis MN – May 9th 2018

Jimmy Eat World is currently on, “Integrity Blues The Tour”, to support their latest album, “Integrity Blues”, in which is the band’s ninth album.

Microwave (yes the band name) hails from Atlanta, GA, is one of the two acts on this tour with Jimmy Eat World to start the shows. On their Facebook page they write that the band’s interests are beer and fried chicken, in which I know you all can agree that’s one of your interests as well. Their genre is described as ‘Adult Mid-Tempo Contemporary Rock’, or ‘In between soft rock and hard rock’. They certainly remind me of some of the music I listened to growing up or as I would like to call it the ‘good-old days’ of emo, indie rock, and punk. These guys are super entertaining and really got everyone upbeat and excited for the show.

The Hotelier, second act on tour with Jimmy Eat World, is from Worcester, MA. This band actually reminds me of some older jimmy eat world stuff. “Home, Like Noplace Is There”, was the bands second album which ranked at #1 on the AbsolutePunk staff’s top 30 albums of 2014. After the success they toured with La Dispute and Title Fight in spring of 2015. The band is signed through Tiny Engines. “Goodness” is the latest album from The Hotelier.

Jimmy Eat World still shows that they know how to sell out a show. First Avenue was packed with many different fans, old school fans, and newer fans. They come from Mesa, AZ and formed in 1993. “Clarity”, the band’s third album is still one of their most successful and critically acclaimed. The band’s single “Lucky Denver Mint” was featured in the film “Never Been Kissed”. In the bands fourth album “Bleed American”, remains a song, titled “The Middle” (which I think everyone has heard it or knows the song) that is still their most popular song/single to date. Bleed American is certified platinum by the RIAA and reached #5 on “Billboard Hot 100” charts. Jimmy Eat World’s, “Futures” album still remains one of my favorites, as well as “Bleed American”. This was actually my first time seeing Jimmy Eat World live, and I must admit that the ‘teenage’ me was super excited. I love when you can go see a band and they sound just like they do on their albums. It’s refreshing because now-days everyone uses sound effects and whatnot and it just ends up sounding terrible when you hear it live. “Futures” was also awarded gold status by the RIAA. Jimmy Eat World is very exceptional when it comes to producing albums. Most of the bands albums have been self-produced which is very remarkable for a band to do so. Taylor Swift was featured in a video for iTunes where she was seen lip-synching and dancing to “The Middle”, getting Jimmy Eat World back on music charts in 2016. May 4^th, 2018 the band released two new songs “Love Never/ half hearts”. Jimmy Eat World puts on an amazing show I would absolutely see them again.

Review and photos by Kaila Turck