The Young Grandfathers of Emo: Jimmy Eat World Live in Milwaukee (12/18/07)

Lead singer/guitarist Jim Adkins joked in between songs about knowing how to play guitar not helping him win at Guitar Hero; apparently top honors goes to drummer Zach Lind. No matter, though, because Adkins and Lind, along with guitarist Tom Linton and bassist Rick Burch were clearly the heroes of the evening at Milwaukee’s FM 102.1 Big Snow Show on December 16, 2007, at the Riverside Theater. The line-up included Coheed & Cambria, Shiny Toy Guns, and the Starting Line, but they all seemed to be giving homage to the grandfathers of the evening, Jimmy Eat World.

For a band that formed in 1994, perhaps they’re not old enough to be grandfathers. However, with each stage of the electrifying evening it became clear that the newer bands owe much to the headlining heroes.

For starters, Jimmy Eat World boiled down the evening into the basic rock band format—two guitars, bass, and drums—after the various groupings featured in the other bands. On the back of this basic format, Jimmy Eat World played a hard rocking set, laying out the tunes from August’s Chase This Light release while also digging back into the catalogue for early fan favorites (something they had told Shepherds Express they wouldn’t be doing).

It’s an incredibly satisfying experience to hear “A Praise Chorus” belted out live while standing in the midst of the crowd (“I'm on my feet/I'm on the floor/I'm good to go/And all I need is just to hear a song I know/I wanna always feel like part of this was mine”). Added to the joy of this song was when Davey von Bohlen (Maritime/The Promise Ring) emerged from backstage to sing the high, background parts—von Bohlen being the one referred to in the song (“Come on, Davey, sing something that I know”).

Lind’s rolling and pounding drums really got that the band going on “Seventeen” (Static Prevails). The new “Always Be” sounds like 80’s O.M.D. revved up—pop rock with a dance lilt. “Blister” (Clarity) has a punk layer to the introspection which is what made the band Emo instead of just rock (whether that’s a moniker they want or not). And the emotion just kept building even as the balladry of “Hear You Me” (Bleed American) just keeps building to its fever pitch.

The show itself reached its epic end with “Sweetness” and “The Middle.” The pit moved, jumped, swayed, swooned, and punched the air. There’s nothing quite like seeing your grandfathers rock on their best songs, your musical forefathers showing you why you like the new music that you do.

Jimmy Eat World
Interscope