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Third Eye Blind’s music has stayed with people for a long time. It has been, as lead singer Stephan Jenkins eagerly pointed out, 20 long years since the band released its self-titled debut album. And if 3EB’s June 10 performance at Coachman Park in Clearwater was any indicator of fan interest, most supporters clearly weren’t sticking around because of the band’s new stuff.
Yet it was precisely these fans, the devotees from day one, or rather album one, to whom the band dedicated this show on the Summer Gods Tour.
Several thousand people reportedly attended this show, and I can believe it. Coachman Park only had two narrow entrances to the show, and the line of people poking out from each one was about a block and a half long, with at least three times as many inside the gates.
In one line, a couple who had traveled all the way from the D.C. area was discussing the finer points of the band’s “red album” and “blue album” with a burly redhead. With no indie credibility and a handful of radio hits from the Clinton era, I was honestly surprised the band had such devoted followers, and even more curious to see if the band would deliver something they’d enjoy.
Most people were still waiting to get in the venue when Silversun Pickups started playing. The band played an emotional set, which balanced newer material (“Friendly Fires”) with the older hits everyone knows (“Lazy Eye”). Lead vocalist Brian Aubert’s nasally voice gave off the impression that he was crying, just a little, throughout the entire performance.
“This song’s fucked up and kinda dark. So, I’m sorry about that. We can talk about it after,” Aubert said, before the group played “Fires.”
Third Eye Blind brought a similar sense of angst to the stage, though a lot catchier and a bit less pitiful. The band first breezed through some of its newer material, like “Queen of Daydreams” and “Shipboard Cook,” a track which lead vocalist Stephan Jenkins likened to a “Pogues song” that one might sing “drunk, a little too loud at the pub.” Notably absent was the group’s bizarrely normal-sounding cover of Beyonce’s “Mine,” which I’m sure would have earned the members plenty of respect from listeners of a younger generation.
Of course, Jenkins “welcomed the virgins” who’d never seen the group live before. But overall, he sounded like he wanted nothing more than to please the fans who’d bought the band’s debut on cassette and seen its performance at Woodstock ‘98.
“Tonight is a thank you of sorts,” he said. “And we’re here to play every last song on that record.”
All he said was “that record” and everyone knew what he meant. Maybe, I’m too young to fully grasp its longevity, but it appears that the “red album” was sort of like Nevermind for those who harbor a more melodic anguish, and (by extension) prefer a subtle rhythmic fist pump to moshing.
Every track seemed to be an anthem for someone. The audience perked up mere seconds into “Losing a Whole Year,” like a post-grunge cheerleading squad, and this nostalgic giddy energy sustained the band through the rest of the album, and an encore.
Third Eye Blind played a particularly impressive four-song streak of career-defining hits, alternating between buoyant American Pie energy (“Semi-Charmed Life”) and moody Reality Bites realism (“Jumper,” “How’s It Going to Be”). Some of the crowd members had clearly played “Graduate” at their own high school graduations.
Singing often distraught lyrics, Jenkins, the clear showman of the group, was having nothing short of a blast. He flailed his arms and skipped around the stage, even successfully attempting a backwards somersault some time around “Good for You” or “London.”
When Jenkins wished the crowd a good night and the lights dimmed, the show didn’t feel over. The audience needed closure, and one hit in particular hadn’t yet been played. Within the few minutes of an encore cheer from the crowd, the band re-emerged and busted out “Never Let You Go.” At this point, the members seemed a little exhausted, but the fans helped bear Jenkins’ load by singing along.
To all the fans who have been pumping “Motorcycle Drive By” on their way home from work since before the aux cord was standard, I hope you were at the show Saturday night. It was everything you’d want it to be.
This article appears in Jun 8-15, 2017.