Late nineties rock spawned a sound like no other. Third Eye Blind, Oasis, Everclear — all of these artists produced melancholy yet catchy albums that would eventually evolve into emo as we know it. Jimmy Eat World’s 1999 release, Clarity, championed this genre with its ability to transition seamlessly from the first contemplative track all the way to the last 15-minute song ending in an instrumental breakdown and harmonization. This fertile ground that many artists strived to grow on was mostly left in the nineties.
But for the sake of ten extremely heartfelt shows, it was revived. Clarity has become such a staple of the emo fan and so frequently taken out of the vault that Jimmy Eat World decided to play it in its entirety for the tenth anniversary of its release. They played ten shows at ten lucky venues, DC’s 9:30 Club being one of them, and Denver’s Ogden Theatre being another.
Ogden Theatre is an excellent place to see a show. It’s about the size of the NorVa — slightly smaller and more intimate than the 9:30 Club — and its two floors have the décor of an old-school concert hall like Old Cabell. But unlike Old Cabell, it has standing room — and jumping room, unfortunately. Especially overzealous fans hopped around during upbeat numbers and were sure to sing every word — almost as loudly as the band.
Although Jimmy Eat World has since evolved and found a more polished sound, the entire track listing of Clarity retained its more raw late-nineties sound. “Lucky Denver Mint” did not evoke as much enthusiasm as I had hoped it would, but it still felt incredibly authentic. “12.23.95” was just as pretty and poignant as it is on the album. “Just Watch the Fireworks” began with Jim Adkins using a bow on his guitar and continued onward with perfected vocals. In fact, all of the vocals (while unfortunately obscured by some people singing TOO LOUD) sounded as pure and creamy as they would on vinyl. (And if you had missed your chance in 1999 to snag a vinyl copy of Clarity, no biggie, because they re-pressed them just for the tour.) The Clarity set finished with “Goodbye Sky Harbor,” which was introduced as “Side D of Clarity,” and the looping and harmonization of vocals, drums, xylophone, and keyboards was impressive and something only to be seen on this tour.
After a brief break, the band returned to the stage and played a couple of B-sides and demos that many a half-hearted fan had never heard of. Those who had, though, were extremely appreciative and enthusiastic. The set finished with a couple of hits, and everyone left happy.
Overall, the tour seemed like a great idea. Everyone was eager to hear less played songs performed live, and the band seemed to be playing the songs both it and its audience truly connected with.
Post written by Marissa D'Orazio.
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