Concert review: Jimmy Eat World at The Orange Peel
Jimmy Eat World’s Wednesday, Nov. 20, show at The Orange Peel was a Millennial’s dream come true. Known for their punctuality, the quintet hit the stage promptly at 9 p.m. — none of this late night weekday start time baloney that forces many adults to miss out on musical opportunities — and proceeded to tap into the up-tempo, optimistic ethos that’s made them a fan-favorite for the relatively youthful (or at least young at heart) fan base that assembled for its latest Asheville performance.
Touring in support of the Arizona band’s 10th album, the aptly-titled Surviving, the five-piece ensemble was peppy from the start, confidently rolling from the new record’s title track to the still-potent “Bleed American.” The era-hopping shift proved indicative of the setlist to come, which smoothly weaved throughout the band’s career, fortified by generous shredding and vocals from still plenty perky frontman Jim Adkins, his voice seemingly unchanged over a quarter of a decade — and arguably as strong as ever.
Energetic as the entire band was, the front row of Adkins, Tom Linton (guitar/vocals), and Rick Burch (bass) remained glued to their mics to a fault — though considering the sparsity of guitar solos, leaving their primary spots rarely made sense. Additional movement and showmanship would certainly have been welcome, but the wall of clean, electric sound arising from the committed collective left little room for complaint.
The crowd, one of the more impressive in Asheville this year, was firmly with the band from start to finish. Passionate singing accompanied practically every song, and while plentiful phones came out of pockets to record favorite tracks, few devices remained in concertgoers’ hands once the video was documented. The dialed-in audience in turn resulted in one of the more friendly and respectful musical gatherings in recent memory. Could pop-punk fans be society’s best hopes for future peace?
Closing out the set with greatest hit “The Middle,” which remains as catchy as it was upon its release nearly 20 years ago, Jimmy Eat World did the damn encore thing with a three-song tribute to its adoring fans, whose dedication clearly moved the musicians. Solidifying the Millennial dream status, seven-minute anthem “23” concluded at the stroke of 10:32 — perfect for 30somethings, many of whom are now parents and/or 9-5’ers, to get home at a reasonable hour and recharge for the day ahead with wonderful memories from the show lingering for weeks to come.
(Photo by Oliver Halfin)
