Jimmy Eat World

O2 Academy, Birmingham

words and pictures by James Watkins

Arizona’s answer to indie-rock, Jimmy Eat World, brought the house down at an overflowing O2 Academy as part of their Invented tour.

The band are sweeping through the UK before tackling a mammorth run of American dates, that will keep them on the road into spring.

During their only West Midlands show, they were in imperious form. Opening with Bleed American (Salt Sweat Sugar), they powered through an upbeat and raucous opening half hour, sending the army of Jimmy fans pogoing like a bouncing tigger, with Coffee And Cigarettes standing out as a true anthem.

Slowing down the proceedings with the magical For Me This Is Heaven, they followed with the perfect pop/rock song, 23, which brought a tear to the eye with genius lyrics and a heart-pounding beat.

Jimmy Eat World may only have become popular on this side of the Atlantic in recent times, but they’ve been around the block. Their seventh studio album, Invented, has belatedly made them players on a global stage.

Far more used to playing to arenas in their homeland, messers Jim Adkins (vocals), Tom Linton (backing and guitars), Rick Burch (bass) and Zach Lind (drums), looked like they were enjoying  the West Midlands venue more than they could ever imagine, particularly during Hear You Me, where 3000 fans in the tightly packed Academy sang their hearts out with arms above their heads waving side to side.

Closing with a four-song encore that included possibly their biggest hits, Get It Faster and The Middle, Jimmy Eat World caused the crowd to sing in full-voice before closing the show and blowing the doors off the Academy with the energetic and powerful Sweetness.

Jimmy Eat World will be supporting the Foo Fighters next year at their huge Milton Keynes Bowl shows. They’ll be among the best gigs of 2011.