THIRD EYE BLIND AT BB&T PAVILION IN CAMDEN
“You know those kind of moments when you feel that kind of joy where you just don’t give a fuck?” In my head I was screaming, “YEAH. I DO. RIGHT NOW,” to Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins, as he proclaimed this statement to the thousands of people gathered at BB&T Pavilion in Camden. Third Eye Blind, Jimmy Eat World, and Ra Ra Riot have set out on the “Summer Gods Tour” together and took some time in Camden, New Jersey to play for a very packed crowd. Having listened to these bands for so many years, I was excited to finally get the chance to see them live.
Ra Ra Riot opened the show up for the evening while the sun was still shining. It felt very appropriate with their bright yellow backdrop and indie rock summer vibe. The atmosphere was pretty chill as the band played through their set. I saw Ra Ra Riot many years ago and distinctly remember being excited by the fact that they had strings. I was confused to see that their violinist was not on stage with them, but the set was still enjoyable regardless.
Jimmy Eat World were up next and the crowd started to come alive. It would be hard not to jump around and dance as the band played through songs such as “Sweetness”, “Bleed American”, and “Big Casino”. The band did not move much, but their sound was great and it was satisfying to jam along to “The Middle” with a couple thousand people.
When Third Eye Blind started their set, the lights dimmed. It was dark now as the sun had basically set. The stage had a large sheet up and flashing lights showed silhouettes of the members. The beginning of their set had very dark, dramatic lighting as they opened with “Screamer”. The stage was huge and they made sure to cover it and use the space during their performance. The band played through songs such as “Never Let You Go”, “Wounded”, and “How’s It Going to Be”. The onstage commentary from Stephan Jenkins was a lot of fun and kept the crowd’s attention. A moment that truly brought tears to my eyes was during “Jumper” when he had the entire crowd sing the main guitar melody acapella before launching into the big guitar solo and finishing out the song with their explosive chorus. I was instantly thrown into such an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia having grown up hearing Third Eye Blind’s singles on the radio in the car with my family. With a new album on the horizon, the band played a couple new songs for the crowd, getting them hyped up for what’s to come.
The lineup of bands on the “Summer Gods Tour” was truly spectacular and I would definitely suggest checking it out if it rolls your way.
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!