BANDS: Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, Dear and the Headlights
VENUE/LOCATION: Paul E. Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
DATE: April 30, 2008
Although Tsongas Arena would not be my first choice for a rock show - disorganized guestlist and rowdy, chaotic lines that wind down the street long before doors - the Jimmy Eat World & Paramore co-headlining tour did a great job of making a gigantic venue seem more like a small club. Granted, the atmosphere was a bit different, but every band on the bill did their best to make the show as intimate as possible.
Dear and the Headlights kicked off the show with a short set of five or six songs that really got the crowd going. Even though I wasn't personally a huge fan of their music, their driving drum beats and passionate stage presence drew me in. Co-headliners Paramore took to the stage next, and it was clear that the crowd was divided between fans of Paramore and fans of Jimmy Eat World, despite frontwoman Hayley Williams's protests that Paramore wouldn't exist without their older mentors Jimmy Eat World. Starting off with "Let The Flames Begin," Paramore showcased a new intro and outro that left fans screaming for more. Their set was a good mix, with old favorites such as "Emergency", "Pressure" (complete with bassist Jeremy Davis's flip across guitarist Josh Farro's back) and crowd singalong "Whoa" that had hands up in the air. The band also played a good portion of their latest release, "Riot!" which dropped mid-2007 and garnered the band a fair amount of radio play and MTV airtime. "Born For This" with a chorus of "We want the airwaves back!" and pumping fists seemed to strike a chord with the largely pre-teen audience. And of course, they closed out with "Misery Business", the first single off "Riot!" that had effectively introduced the Tennessee pop-punk group to the rest of the world.
As predicted, the crowd changed up between Paramore and Jimmy Eat World with some of the younger fans retreating to the seats and the parents that had watched nervously while older fans filled the floor in preparation for Jimmy Eat World's set. This is sort of a sidelong comment but the lights during Jimmy Eat World's set were fantastic - usually the lighting for rock shows sucks but they did a really great job on this tour with the lights for all three bands and watching from the back of the arena, I was really able to see what was going on and I definitely think it made the show more aesthetically pleasing. "Sweetness" was the first song to capture the entire crowd's attention, with the resounding whoas echoing throughout the venue. A mix of songs from their extensive discography followed, including "Always Be", "Crush" and one of my personal favorites, "23". "Don't give away the end, the one thing that stays mine," helped slow down things for a bit. A few songs later, as I was leaving, the band burst into "Pain", one of the last songs before the encore that I hear included "The Middle", "Hear You Me" and the title track off their 2004 release "Futures".
Overall, it was a fantastic show that combined a band that has had a prolific effect on music, gaining respect and credibility over their lengthy careers with a fresh-faced band still learning the ropes of fame. And along the way, this tour may have succeeded in convincing a few Paramore fans to pick up a Jimmy Eat World album and explore the music of their idols' idols. --JM
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