Jimmy Eat World rocks the Riverside recreational center

By Keith Hershey
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing writer

Last Thursday at 8 p.m., a beautiful thing happened: Jimmy Eat World performed with the Velvet Teen at the UC Riverside recreation center. With the new single already being played on KROQ, Jimmy was there to promote the upcoming release of their new album, "Futures," available Oct. 19.

Imagine an oversized gym large enough to hold about four full-sized basketball courts side by side, and you would have the UCR recreation center. For the show, the center had been transformed into a concert paradise with two full tiers of bleachers in the back, a large floor section, and the stage at the front of it all. There were no set seating assignments and a person's proximity to the stage was determined by his place in the line that had formed outside; a line that stretched from the entrance and circled the center almost entirely. For those lucky enough to be waiting in line since mid-afternoon, the reward was a spot up front, right against the barrier that separates the stage from the 2,000 plus crowd.

The night opened with a little known band from the Northern bay area called The Velvet Teen.

Promoting their most recent release, "Elysium,""the band was the only opening act. If you have never heard of The Velvet Teen before, you are missing out. This indie rock trio is an amazing bit of musical genius whose style alters between pop rock and emo with every song. The Velvet Teen took the stage and the crowd erupted in cheers. The band went through song after song, not pausing for any stage banter, with the exception of commenting on how this show had the largest crowd they had ever played for, and thanking the audience at the end of their set. The crowd was not as familiar with the music of The Velvet Teen as they were of Jimmy, but a small amount of voices could be heard singing along and the crowd heartily cheered at the completion of each song.

After a 30 minute break for the tear down and set-up, the house lights went out and Jimmy Eat World took the stage. Opening their set with "A Praise Chorus" from their immensely popular album," "Bleed American," the crowd exploded, screaming out lyrics and bouncing up and down as a collective mass. Those right up against the barrier felt the weight of the crowd pressing into them, forcing them even tighter between the steel and the bodies of those behind them. Song after song, the crowd sang at the top of their lungs. For some, the jumble of bodies on the floor was too much, and, with the help of security, these claustrophobic concert goers were led over the barrier and sent to the back. For most, the elbows in the side and stranger's hands all over were just as much a part of the concert as the music itself, and the majority continued to sing, bounce and crowd surf.

Filming for a possible DVD release, guys with video cameras were running back and forth in front of the stage, alternating between filming the band and the crowd. Jimmy continued through their set, playing songs from their past catalogue as well as many from "Futures," eventually ending their set with "Get It Faster" only to return for an encore. The encore featured the only low note of Jimmy's performance when they closed the show with the hugely overplayed song, "The Middle," which, since "Bleed American's" release, has been crammed down the throats of America through the radio, MTV, and various spots on TV.

The energy for the night was amazing. Thousands of people united for the love of a band, singing, cheering and having a good time. The Velvet Teen was an amazing opener, not just getting the crowd excited for Jimmy Eat World, but also getting them excited about their own music and gaining many new fans. Jimmy Eat World, filled with energy and a genuine love of performing, provided an ideal concert experience, where, with the exception of the closing song, there was nothing to be disappointed about.