YELLOWCARD AND THIRD EYE BLIND AT FREEDOM MORTGAGE PAVILION IN CAMDEN
The “Summer Gods Tour” graced the stage of Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ this week, and not even the talk of bad weather could get this crowd down. Third Eye Blind, Yellowcard, and Arizona put on a fantastic show that gave the crowd the perfect reason to come for a night out. The threat of poor weather, heavy rains, and storms were looming over this night, but the weather actually held off and instead ended up creating a nice breezy atmosphere. All three bands don’t necessarily seem like they would fit on a tour with each other, but the slight differences in genres actually complemented each other quite well.
Taking the stage first were Arizona. It was my first time getting to see the band live so I was very intrigued. The New Jersey natives exclaimed their excitement at playing a home show right off the bat. They started their set off quite strongly, immediately drawing the attention of the attendees who were already at their seats. Their boppy tracks and infectious energy were the perfect start to get everyone warmed up.
When Yellowcard hit the stage, you could feel a palpable energy ripple throughout the crowd. Opening up their set with “Lights and Sound”, violin player Sean Mackin was already jumping off the risers at the front of the stage. Unfortunately, the venue did not have a GA pit tonight, but that didn’t stop longtime Yellowcard fans from dancing and moving like their seats didn’t exist. The pop punk band played through a fairly career spanning setlist. Time flies when you’re having fun, so their set felt short, but it packed a pretty big punch. They played songs like “Only One”, “The Hurt is Gone”, “Lift a Sail”, and “Cut Me, Mick”. Vocalist Ryan Key made a short speech expressing gratitude to Third Eye Blind for having them out to play some of the biggest shows of their career, and how they were an inspiration for the band. When it was finally time for their last song, they started the opening riff to “Ocean Avenue”, and there wasn’t a silent mouth in the venue. The thing that has become so special about seeing a band like Yellowcard over the years is seeing their crowd change and grow with them. Looking out across the audience there were tons of elder emos, some now accompanied by their children. It was heartwarming to see these parents passing down their love for live music to their children, and even cooler to see the wide age range across the crowd, all brought together by a shared love for this band.
After Yellowcard’s set, it was time for Third Eye Blind. The band has been around for as long as I’ve been alive and they’re still absolutely smashing it on stage. They opened their set up with “Motorcycle Drive By”, and the first thing I noticed was how larger-than-life their lighting setup was. While the stage was set up simply with just the risers, they were backed by tons of lights, and even had lasers. Third Eye Blind was here to deliver a no frills performance, with heavy emphasis on just being in the moment with the music. The last time I saw them perform was in 2019, and they clearly just continue to refine their performance and get even better. Everyone in the crowd yelled along to songs such as “Never Let You Go”, “Graduate”, and “Wounded”. Towards the end of the set, vocalist Stephan Jenkins grabbed his guitar and played some songs acoustically while lit by tons of beautiful twinkling lights behind him. It was amazing how intimate he made it feel, even though the venue was so huge. They ended their set strong with a string of classics: “Jumper”, “Semi-Charmed Life”, and “How’s It Going to Be”. A performance like this is one that is here to remind you exactly why Third Eye Blind has stayed in the spotlight for as long as they have. The atmosphere that they are able to create with each song they perform is incredible. This tour lineup was definitely the perfect show for a summer night out.
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!