Third Eye Blind embarked on their “Summer Gods” tour starting out right in Miami at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater. The Summer Gods tour is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of their landmark self-titled debut album. The album gave us some of the most notable singles in the Third Eye Blind discography including the iconic “Semi-Charmed Life” and ballad “How's It Gonna Be?” It had rained for a week straight and a giant thunderstorm loomed overhead, but kept mainly at bay save for a few light showers, but the downpour thankfully held off for the outdoor show.
Ocean Park Standoff, from Los Angeles, opened the night with a quick and short set. Silversun Pickups, also LA based, took the stage next. We caught Silversun Pickups back in December at Riptide Festival, and the two setlists were nearly identical to each other. The only change between the two sets was swapping out “The Royal We” for “Dots and Dashes (Enough Already).” Other shows on the tour have included “Substitution” and “Ragamuffin” in the performance, but it appears the rain cut slightly into their time. The set ended with the grungy crowd-pleasing “Lazy Eye.”
Third Eye Blind's debut album is a top ten record in my life's catalog. The album, and the band, have seemed to grow with me ever since it hit the shelves in 1997. The crowd was full of long time fans, wearing shirts dating back to early tours, and the younger generation that has come to love the record as well. Some people are surprised when you mention “Third Eye Blind's new music” and assume the band was lost in the previous decade. Third Eye Blind does a beautiful job of introducing themselves on this tour, especially to those fans that haven't stayed up-to-date.
The set began with “Weightless” a recently released some that alludes to the tour name as vocalist Stephan Jenkins belts out “Summer Gods got me screaming.” While we've seen plenty of anniversary shows in the past two years, the way Third Eye Blind constructed their performance is one of my favorites. The first seven songs of the set were composed of known favorites like “Wounded” and newer singles like “Something in You.” Introducing older fans to the newer material, and newer fans to some of the older material. It truly felt that the band took the time to present a beautifully put together setlist. Beginning with the eighth song the band played their self-titled debut from start to finish. The outdoor crowd was shouting along with Jenkins to every word. The band left the stage after an emotional performance of “Motorcycle Drive By” (when isn't that song emotional?), and returned to finish the night with a three song encore that concluded with the final song off the album “God of Wine.”
It feels impossible for this band to put on a bad show, I’ve never walked away a Third Eye Blind concert and felt anything short of amazement. But this tour really does outweigh the rest, bringing the album that made so many people lifelong fans, to life in an epic way. The band began the set on top of risers that Jenkins gracefully descended as he held his mic victoriously during “Horror Show.” Though only Jenkins and drummer Brad Hargreaves are the only remaining members that played on the first record, but you’d think this lineup was the original. The performance flowed naturally and you can feel the passion each member puts into each song.
I would highly recommend catching this tour before the summer is over – even if you haven’t kept up with the band, the nostalgia is going to be enough to keep you singing all night.
Setlist:
1. Weightless
2. Company of Strangers
3. Horror Show
4. Wounded
5. Queen of Daydreams
6. Something in You
7. Shipboard Cook
8. Losing a Whole Year
9. Narcolepsy
10. Semi-Charmed Life
11. Jumper
12. Graduate
13. How's It Going to Be
14. Thanks A Lot
15. Burning Man
16. Good For You
17. London
18. I Want You
19. The Background
20. Motorcycle Drive By
Encore: Never Let You Go
Alright Caroline
God of Wine