Third Eye Blind Summer Gods Tour at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 2, 2024
Third Eye Blind along with special guests Yellowcard and Arizona treated us all to a semi charmed night full of 90’s alternative and early 2000’s pop/punk music at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre last week on the Summer Gods Tour.
Pop/punk nostalgia was on everyone’s minds when Yellowcard to the stage after the night’s openers Arizona. Indeed, there was some but the setlist highlighted a mixture of songs that normally don’t see the stage at their shows. Vocalist Ryan Key addressed the crowd thanking everyone for coming back to see them again and said they were going to try something different this time. After performing their hits last year on their 20 Years of Ocean Avenue Tour, Key announced the band would like to take the night to just have fun and play some of their songs that don’t get much set time along with a few hits. The casual fan could be forgiven for not knowing a lot of the songs but the plethora of Yellowcard fans in attendance loved the change. I heard from many a fan who was glad they played certain songs they hadn’t heard live before along with fan favorites “Only One” and Ocean Avenue” of course.
After the stage changeover the stage flooded with fog as Third Eye Blind took the stage awash in haze and moody lights. The first few songs were subdued as the band played in the cover of the smoke and hazy lights with vocalist, Stephan Jenkins, taking a place at the microphone and not moving much during the first few songs. After the first couple of songs the band become more animated which energized the crowd. Just as Yellowcard did before them, Third Eye Blind’s setlist was made up of some of the deeper songs from their catalog as well as newer ones that the casual fan might not know. After playing fan favorite “Graduate” the band slowed things back down again for an acoustic portion of the show which saw the band all take seats along the front middle of the stage and let the music and instruments do the entertaining instead of playing up the stage presence.
The acoustic part was a highlight of the night as fans got to watch these talented musicians perform, not dance around the stage. It felt like an intimate show in a small venue and not one built to hold 20,000 people.
After the teardown of the acoustic set the rest of the show was full throttle ahead as the band reenergized themselves and the crowd getting things ready for the night’s finale with their biggest hits, “Semi Charmed Life” and the closing song “How’s it Going to Be.”
Overall, the night was a perfect mix of nostalgia and new music from these two incredible bands that have remained relevant in our lives for so long. Third Eye Blind will continue hitting the road throughout the summer on the Summer Gods Tour. Info and dates can be found here.
