Jimmy Eat World live!

Jimmy Eat World
Park West, Chicago
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The story of a college radio favorite — much like Jimmy Eat World once were — finding success and moving beyond their former level of obscurity is hardly a new one. Which makes the story of such success’ casualties, like a lack of older material during present-day shows, that much more expected, and, regrettably, not at all uncommon.

For a group like Mesa, Arizona’s Jimmy Eat World, whose impressive back catalog garnered the group a cult following in the late ’90s, older has almost always proven to be better. One of the more noted, and earlier, forerunners of the emo movement, Jimmy Eat World’s sometimes fragile, frequently raw, and surprisingly vulnerable music found an underground but nevertheless undeniable audience. Yet, the sudden success of 2001’s Bleed American (later self-titled) record ushered in a new age for the band, and since then tours have been scarce on earlier, more beloved JEW favorites, replaced with capable but not especially innovative modern rock singles.

So, following years of tours all but ignoring any output from the band’s pre-2001 arsenal, last Wednesday’s sold-out Park West show was not only a welcome return to form, but a belated reminder of what once made Jimmy Eat World great — most notably, their songs.

In the midst of a brief tour before the release of a new album this fall, the trek served as a chance for the outfit to dust off older tracks as well as showcase oft-overlooked favorites. Perhaps most notable about Wednesday’s show was the presence of songs from the group’s strongest, yet least recognized album, Clarity. Almost entirely absent from most touring playlists over the last few years, more tender fare like “Table For Glasses” and “A Sunday” reminded longtime fans what brought them to the band in the first place. Elsewhere in the set, rarities like the vintage “Roller Queen” and the epic and sprawling “Disintegration” served as proof of the night’s dedication to dig deep and surprise along the way. Even more recent material in the vein of indie-era Jimmy Eat World, such as Future‘s “Polaris” and live rarity “23,” as well as Bleed American‘s “Cautioners,” proved that not all modern JEW song are necessarily simplistic single-ready fare.

Throughout the night, a once humble staple of the Metro and the Fireside Bowl returned to their roots, and in doing so, let their audience know, even while touring behind their current works, they haven’t forgotten where they came from.

It’s a helluva lot more than some bands do these days.

— Jaime de’Medici

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly