The Entire Kool Haus Sings Along With Jimmy Eat World

Date of show: October 17, 2010

Jim Adkins (vocals) sounded fantastic and it seems like he brings a renewed confidence to the stage, as he proudly hits those higher notes he has not always been able to hit and even did a little bit of stylizing. The rest of the band is Tom Linton (guitar, vocals), Zach Lind (drums), and Rick Burch (bass, vocals). If you don’t already know Jimmy Eat World, perhaps it is time you get to know them because it seems they are certainly planning on sticking around. Courtney Marie Andrews joined the band on backup vocals and the harmonies sounded lovely. There was a relaxed looseness to their stage presence, with Adkins even stopping mid-set to take a picture for a fan’s grandmother. They even discussed their thoughts on Jackass 3, having seen it the night before in Toronto (and walked out, by the way). The stage banter was kept to a minimum though, and Jimmy Eat World powered through a 20-song set plus a 4-song encore. One word: amazing.

Perhaps a lot of people have forgotten about Jimmy Eat World, but you certainly would not believe this if you were at the Kool Haus for their show. The venue might not have sold out, but it was packed… and it was glorious. The band brought me back to high school and every single song is worth singing along to. In fact, the crowd did sing along to most of the set. The set list is below, but I’ll break it down for you: 5 songs were from Clarity, 7 songs were from Bleed American, 4 song were from Futures, 3 songs were from Chase This Light, and 5 songs were from their newest album Invented. They started with “Bleed American” and had the crowd singing along and screaming. A somewhat peculiar choice because of how mellow the song is, but they ended with a shortened “Goodbye Sky Harbor.” For fans of older Jimmy Eat World, this set was absolutely fantastic. Perhaps the only disappointment was for those I could hear screaming for “No Sensitivity,” but I don’t think I heard a single person complain as we filtered out of the Kool Haus. It was a great night.

Before starting their encore, Adkins proudly said, “We always have a great time here. I love Toronto.” Hey Jimmy Eat World, it appears Toronto loves you too. I know I still do.

Here’s their setlist:

Bleed American
Your New Aesthetic
A Praise Chorus
My Best Theory
Lucky Denver Mint
Let It Happen
For Me This is Heaven
Futures
Big Casino
Action Needs an Audience
Dizzy
Coffee and Cigarettes
Movielike
Here You Me
Evidence
Work
The Authority Song
Blister
Pain
Goodbye Sky Harbor

Encore:
23
Get It Faster
The Middle
Sweetness