Jimmy Eat World Returns to Dublin Better than Ever

Anticipation builds as the drum set glows blue under four street lamps. Yes, the Olympia stage looks like a welcoming city street. The 90’s punk-rock band lets the song warm up before taking control of their clean new track ‘You with Me.’ The young adult crowd grins to welcome their childhood band. Men in their 30’s who most likely listened to the albums in high school make up a decent number on the ground floor. Phones are even kept in pockets for much of the first song.

Jim Adkins certainly looks at home on the Dublin stage, after all, the band has been coming to Dublin since 1999 – or is it 2000? Jim can’t keep count! Numerous times he reminds the audience that the Olympia is “My favourite room ever to be in. It’s always the best fucking show.” The singer, donning a dapper black dress shirt and black slacks, continues dispelling his witty banter between songs by describing what each of the band members have been up to in their personal lives. “Rick opened up a burger shop. You can try them out after the show at Rick’s Burgers,” referring to the bassist, who in actuality, owns a distillery while not on tour.

By the third song, Adkins has a sheen of sweat glossing his forehead. He invites the upper balcony to join the party below and stand up for the rest of the set. ‘Bleed American’ is the turning point where everyone jumps up and down and shouts the lyrics “Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt.”

The set draws from a well-mixed pool of their nine studio albums, including several of their new releases. ‘Pass the Baby’ unfolds from chill Nine-Inch Nails vibes to a full-on rock show.

Everyone waits the whole night for the rockin’ hits ‘Middle’ and ‘Sweetness,’ which doesn’t emerge until the four-song encore. But even after the encore, the crowd seems to linger in disbelief that the night is over. Adkins and the band stick around to thank everyone and toss guitar pics into the air; if they could, they would have stayed the whole night long until kicked out.