Third Eye Blind
Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
11.12.17
The year is 1997 and on the radio, you hear the familiar refrain of “Do do do, do da doo do.” Immediately you begin to sing along until the actual verses start, then you are about 80% accurate with the lyrics. The song is “Semi Charmed Life” and it was the beginning of Third Eye Blind‘s explosion onto the music scene. 20 years and 5 albums later, their fan base is still uber-loyal and singing along to all the classics. A band that started in the late 90’s is now classic rock. Whoa.
Their āFall of the Summer Godsā tour was an evening of time travel through the bandās extensive library. From the first falsetto vocal of “Losing A Whole Year,” it was time to party.Ā Like the Wizard of Oz, lead singer Stephan Jenkins was a mere silhouette through “Blinded,” off of 2003’s Out of the Vein, through half of the underappreciated “Narcolepsy,” from their lauded self-titled debut.
Jenkins still had plenty of swagger. Engaging, passionate, and effortlessly energetic, he connected with the crowd. During the break of “Semi-Charmed Life” he implored everyone to enjoy this moment and greet/hug/smile with/at someone new. The fans were all there for the same reason and took a break from the mass sing-a-long to give one another a friendly gesture.
While the popular songs off of their self-titled debut, Blue, and Out Of The Vein were well-represented, they also treated the crowd to their latest albumās title track, “Dopamine,” “Why Can’t You Be,” a song about a certain shower accessory off of Ursa Major, and “Company of Strangers,” off of their latest EP, We Are Drugs.
Despite guitarist Kryz Reid having recently suffered an unfortunate ice-related injury, their guitar tech, Joseph Pepper, got the job done. He told Jenkins that “He has been watching Kryz closely and knows most every note on each song.” He showed his brass and killed it.
The end of the evening brought the acoustic power of “Jumper” and “Motorcycle Drive By” and a not-too-surprising last song in “God of Wine,” another diehard fan favorite that induced a passionate final vocal from both the crowd and Jenkins.
For 20 years, Third Eye Blind has been part of the soundtrack to countless lives. As Jenkins stated, there are no backing tracks or auto tune, just drums, bass, guitar, and singing. They may not be on the radio or in mainstream pop, but for 20 years, they have been doing what they love, being simply a rock band.
ReviewĀ and photos by Phillip Johnson
Third Eye Blind
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
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- Third Eye Blind. Photo by Phillip Johnson.
These are amazing images. You captured the beauty of the band! Thank you so much for sharing.