By James Biagiotti
At the first show of Incubus and Jimmy Eat World’s summer 2017 tour, the bands welcomed a considerable crowd to West Palm Beach’s Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre for a self-described “rock and roll summer camp,” and managed to live up to the label.
After a respectable set by Nashville newcomers Judah & the Lion opened up the show, Jimmy Eat World took the stage as fans continued to stream in from the parking lot. The group’s minimal stage setup was adorned with two streetlights on each side of the band that flashed along in unison with the music.
Jimmy Eat World’s unique blend of alt-rock and power-punk fit well as an opening act for Incubus, and kept heads bobbing even among those who didn’t seem familiar with their music. The band seemed to relish playing at such a large venue, even if they needed to repeatedly remind the crowd that Incubus was coming up next to keep their attention.
At the conclusion of a 15-song set that leaned heavily on its 2001 breakthrough album Bleed American, Jimmy Eat World finished its set with a rousing rendition of its biggest hit, “The Middle.” The ensuing crowd sing-along stretched from the VIP pit in the very front to the far corners of the back lawn, with even some of the vendors and bartenders joining in.
During a break between the sets, fans started to grow restless. By the time Incubus took the stage around 9 p.m., the sun had fully set and the crowd was ready for the night’s main event. With frontman Brandon Boyd dressed in all white and an elaborate stage setup behind them, the band kicked off its set with heavier cut “Love in a Time of Surveillance,” and the crowd was locked in.
This was the second time Incubus has played West Palm Beach’s signature amphitheater in three years, and its seventh show there in total. While the August 2015 set allocated more time for hits and fan favorites, last night’s concert was a showcase for the band’s most recent record, this year’s 8, which is (you guessed it) the band’s eighth studio album.
Though the set list was stuffed with newer material, the biggest songs of the night were pulled from the band’s earlier albums. “Megalomaniac,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Pardon Me,” and “Drive” sent the crowd into a frenzy, with each drawing a louder sing-along from the masses than the one before it. At times during these songs, Boyd’s voice couldn’t be heard over the sound of the crowd singing along to the chorus.
In between favorites from albums like Make Yourself and Morning View, the band found time for the live debuts of four songs from the new album, all of which were well-received by the audience. After closing the main set with the live debut of 8 standout “No Fun,” The band returned for a single encore to play “Aqueous Transmission,” the final song on 2001’s Morning View. The quiet, calmer track was the most serene moment of the night, and ended the show on an unusually tranquil note for a band that is known for its metal influences.
Though the night may have ended on more of a whimper than a bang, most of the crowd seemed content with their evening at so-called “rock and roll summer camp,” and streamed out of the venue wearing wide smiles.
Jimmy Eat World set list:
1) Sweetness
2) Big Casino
3) Sure and Certain
4) I Will Steal You Back
5) Futures
6) Pass the Baby
7) Pain
8) Work
9) Hear You Me
10) Always Be
11) Get Right
12) The Authority Song
13) A Praise Chorus
14) Bleed American
15) The Middle
Incubus set list:
1) Love in a Time of Surveillance
2) Warning
3) Nimble Bastard
4) Anna Molly
5) Glitterbomb (live debut)
6) Megalomaniac
7) The Warmth
8) Wish You Were Here
9) State of the Art
10) Pardon Me
11) Drive
12) Undefeated (live debut)
13) Redefine (first time since 2009)
14) Sick Sad Little World
15) The Original
16) Loneliest
17) When I Became a Man (live debut)
18) No Fun (live debut)
Encore:
19) Aqueous Transmission
