Jimmy Eat World
Chase This Light Tour
April 14, 2008
McKay Events Center, Orem, UT



In support of their newest album, Chase This Light, Jim Adkins and the boys are on tour with fellow Arizonans Deer And The Headlights and wannabe No Doubters, Paramore. April 14 found the group smack dab in the middle of The Book of Mormon belt where these guys have quite a following due to their sketchy LDS roots and their connection to the Orem/Provo of Arizona, Gilbert/Mesa.

Deer And The Headlights is the newest in a line of AZ bands supported by Jimmy (The Format, Rueben's Accomplice)and as openers they did a decent job. When Paramore came out, I thought I was at a Miley Cyrus concert at first. You could immediatley spot a Paramore fan by their braces and/or mom. To their credit, Hayley Williams did a fantastic job working the crowd and we'll probably have more to look forward to from this young band.

Jimmy Eat World opened up their set with "Big Casino" and were and Jim Adkins was as passionate and energetic as ever. As the show went on, I expected to hear mostly Chase This Light tracks, but it sounded more like a greatest hits tour with songs from each of their five studio albums. "Sweetness" was a highlight with the entire crowd responding with a "whoa oh oh ohhh oh oh" every time Adkins asked if we were listening. In fact, the entire crowd could pretty much sing along with every track from the Bleed American era and on, but when they played older tunes, ie. "Thinking That's All", "Your New Aesthetic", you could separate the die hard fans from the rest.

Tom Linton sung lead on "Blister", as he does on Clarity, and I still don't understand why he never sings anymore. While Brother Adkins voice is central to the Jimmy Eat World sound, Linton provides a rawness when he sings that adds a new dimension to their songs. Even if it was live and not on an album, I would love to hear him take on other songs out of their catalouge.

"Always Be" was amazing. It reminds me of the FOX News theme song. "Dizzy" captured all of the epic granduer of the recorded version. "Here It Goes" was sung to a background of glittery streamer strands you would find at a high school prom, which fit in perfectly with the tounge-in-cheek nature of the song (crowning of the cool kid queen) wheather or not they intended it too. The show ended with a rousing rendition of...you guessed it, "The Middle".

By shows end, you just have to imagine that Jimmy Eat World is going to be around for a long time. Jim Adkins is a lead singer realization of Wonder's drummer Guy Patterson (That Thing You Do)in that he's in it for the love of music. You just watch a show or an interview and it's so apparent. Yes Jim, yes, we are listening.