Jimmy Eat World, photo by Chantel Donnan
The US Open of Surfing is a massive annual gathering of tanned, bikini-clad bodies, clamoring over one another for a piece of the sun and a view of the surf. And on the legendary surf competition’s final day last week, the beachgoers were also fighting (and I mean literally fighting, I saw at least three arrests during the day) for a spot on the sand to hear pop punk superstars Jimmy Eat World perform. The boys from Arizona played a power chord–packed set for a sea of excited fans, and their energetic songs and stage presence suited the event perfectly.
After a quick, yet impressive opening performance by Los Angeles rockers Dead Country, Jimmy Eat World opened up the show with an adrenaline pumping performance of “Salt Sweat Sugar” (otherwise known as “Bleed American”). Rotating between the classic punk rock power stance and jumping around in time to the music, singer Jim Adkins and the rest of the group got fans riled up for the rest of the performance.
The group quickly scaled back the energy, following up with a gentler performance of “A Praise Chorus.” The boys balanced between heavy hitting rock songs and more melodic pop pieces during the course of the show, but always managed to impress the crowd at their feet.
Fans clapped along to songs like “Sweetness,” “My Best Theory,” and, of course, “The Middle,” and Adkins was sure to thank the crowd for coming out. Amidst the chaos and craziness at the US Open of Surfing, Jimmy Eat World put on a brilliant show for an incredible crowd.
