Live Recap: Third Eye Blind with Taking Back Sunday
ANCHR kicked off the weekend with a nostalgia-packed night at Northerly Island for Taking Back Sunday and Third Eye Blind. As I walked into the pavilion at the start of the evening, I saw a good ratio of fans sporting shirts for each band, signifying we had a blend of both fan bases in the house.
After an opening set from Australia’s Hockey Dad, Taking Back Sunday took the stage just as the sun began to set. They launched into their show with the song “Tidal Wave,” which is the title track of their 2016 album. From there, their setlist featured a good mix of the band’s discography, but it heavily featured many of their older cuts, which personally made me reminisce about my high school days. Particularly when they played songs like “MakeDamnSure” and “Cute Without the 'E' (Cut From the Team)”— which were staples in my rotation back in those days. Between songs, lead singer Adam Lazzara commented about the beautiful setting of the show, saying, “This is fantastic. It’s beautiful. There’s a nice breeze. All you beautiful people are here.” It really was the perfect breeze coming off the lake that night, and members of the audience all shared a sense of camaraderie and excitement. In addition to the throwbacks, the band performed their newest single “Just Us Two,” which they just dropped last month with Steve Aoki.
Next up, the stage got set for headliners Third Eye Blind. Their set up included risers with instruments and mic stands set up on the different levels, which the band used to shuffle around the stage during their set. The tour was in honor of the band’s 25th anniversary from their self-titled debut record.
The music began with a blend of old and new, with the beginning of the set featuring “Thanks a Lot” from their debut as well as “Dust Storm” from their 2021 record. The rest of the night journeyed through their expansive catalog, while heavily highlighting the songs from Third Eye Blind. The good vibes between the audience members continued to radiate and were highly encouraged by frontman Stephan Jenkins. He asked the crowd to acquaint themselves with the people next to them, saying, “Everyone from the front to the back, turn around and tell someone you don’t know that you’re glad they’re here.”
Jenkins continued to encourage friendly vibes amongst audience members before they played the song “Shipboard Cook,” which Jenkins introduced as a song he wrote to “be sung by drunk people in a pub. It’s a song for someone who got dumped and is being consoled by loving friends.” Towards the bottom half of the show from Third Eye Blind, fans were also treated to a solo acoustic performance of “The Background” by Jenkins, as well as a cover of “Funeral Singers” by Califone from the whole band.
Before the concert came to a close, we of course also heard the massive hits “Jumper,” “Semi-Charmed Life,” and “How’s It Going to Be.” The audience was full of long-time fans excited to be reunited with their favorite artist, alongside new fans or people getting to experience Third Eye Blind for the first time. It was great to see a mix of generations across the venue, and the gratitude from the crowd was also shared by Jenkins in the band. Jenkins made sure to vocalize that appreciation by saying, “Do you all have any idea how much we’ve been looking forward to tonight? We don’t take any of this for granted.”
There’s something really special about seeing songs that are ten, twenty years old and still hold up. I love seeing new bands, but being able to experience a whole venue full of people singing songs you grew up with is something even more spectacular.
Check out photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch Third Eye Blind on the rest of their tour here.
