They opened the encore with a surprisingly faithful rendition of Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," Jenkins channeling Diamond Dave's phrasing in places while wisely avoiding the urge to do one of those famous mid-air splits. It was one of two songs honoring the memory of a dead musician. The guitar sound in particular had some bite to it, which really came in handy on their cover of the Joy Division song, "Disorder," a post-punk classic they recorded earlier this year for the 40th anniversary of Ian Curtis' death by suicide. Third Eye Blind paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen
It even sounded like a concert on the special FM station if you cranked it loud enough, from the explosive drums of "Wounded" to the squealing lead guitar in that medley of "10 Days Late," "A Thousand Julys" and "Graduate."Īnd if you chose to stand outside your car, it sounded even better. Having been to Shelton and Metallica, I'm here to tell you: Those don't feel a thing like like any concert I've experienced.īut seeing Third Eye Blind perform three rows of cars away on a really high stage in the round as golf carts drove by hawking beer? Sharing some of this weirdness together felt amazing after seven months of being made to go without live music.Īs surreal experiences go, it didn't feel at all like being made to settle for the next best thing to being there.Īnd shockingly enough, it pulled that off while also feeling safe, which is fairly important as COVID cases continue to spike. When Stephan Jenkins and his bandmates left the stage after bringing the set to a dramatic close with "Light It Up," fans demanded an encore not by chanting "Third Eye Blind" so much as laying on their horns.Īnd that was nothing compared to the chorus of honks that applauded their encore performance of "Semi-Charmed Life."Īs Jenkins announced before sending the fans on their way with an understated encore-closing "How's It Going To Be," "Thank you all again for coming and sharing some of this weirdness together." What the drive-in concert experience was likeĪ lot of artists have been screening virtual concerts they've filmed in advance to show at outdoor venues, including recent Arizona screenings by Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Metallica and Kane Brown. RELATED: Every drive-in concert playing Phoenix through the end of 2020 Others stood outside their vehicles, which had been spaced with social distancing in mind. Some people chose to stay inside those cars and tune in to the concert on a special FM station.
#THIRD EYE BLIND CONCERT 2021 SERIES#
Third Eye Blind rocked the opening night of a socially-distanced drive-in concert series in the parking lot of the Arizona State Fairgrounds, the stage surrounded on all sides by rows of cars. This is a cashless event.View Gallery: Scenes from Third Eye Blind concert at the Arizona State Fairgrounds Playing virtual shows and a special drive-in show they kept their connection with their fans and continue to build momentum. Although they had to cancel their 2020 tour due to the pandemic, they never stopped the music. Go strong for over two decades, Third Eye Blind broke their own attendance records with 2019’s Summer Gods tour.
Their Blessed by the Gods tour in 2017 received positive reviews for an impressive setlist that perfectly mixed songs from each era of their career. Third Eye Blind live performances are noted as impressive for their meticulous use of lighting to set the mood for each individual song and for their high-energy interaction with audiences. In more recent years, the band has toured and performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo in Tennessee, Life is Beautiful in Las Vegas, Reading Festival in the United Kingdom, and In the Mix in the Philippines. They also toured with bands such as U2 and Oasis before their Bonfire Tour across the US in 1998 and releasing their second album, Blue, in 1999.
Building on their impactful initial success, Third Eye Blind released a number of singles following 1997’s ‘Semi-Charmed Life,’ three of which reached the Top 10 charts. The band, which debuted their single ‘Semi-Charmed Life’ in 1997 to critical acclaim, quickly rose to fame and eventually went on to win the 1997 Billboard Music Award for Best Modern Rock Track. Having emerged from the late-90s post-grunge scene, Third Eye Blind is known for their brighter take on grunge sounds, often borrowing themes from classic rock and pop chords.