Last Wednesday night, Music Farm of Charleston played host to Third Eye Blind and special guest, US Royalty.
At 9PM, the DC-based indie rock group US Royalty promptly strutted on stage, looking confident and raring to go. Upon seeing the bright white skinny jeans and classy bolo tie lead singer John Thornley had on much of the crowd seemed skeptical as to what they were about to watch. As soon as the first notes of their opening number “Hollywood Hollows” were played, however, the crowd was hooked. Not only was their music good and catchy, Thornley’s stage presence can be described as nothing other than massive. They are a multi-faceted band, bringing to mind The Black Keys, Local Natives and even The Police at times. As good as their music sounds on their Bandcamp, it sounds even better live.
After US Royalty’s thirty minute set, the anticipation for Third Eye Blind to take the stage began. Every flicker of light and monitor test set off a cacophony of cheers from the crowd, ranging from their early twenties to late forties. Finally, the band took the stage, launching straight into “Thanks A Lot” and powering nonstop through three more songs like “Graduate” and crowd favorite “Crystal Baller.” From start to finish, frontman Stephan Jenkins had the crowd wrapped around his finger. The simplest flick of the wrist or flip of the hair had the audience going into hysterics. In between songs Jenkins took to the mic to tell us they were working on their fifth album, going on the road to “get some energy.” Well, judging by the way Jenkins was moving around the stage they have no shortage of energy, but the sentiment was well-received nonetheless.
The set went on with other favorites like “Never Let You Go” and a few songs from their 2009 release Ursa Major, but the show hit its climax when the band dived headfirst into “Jumper.” Never before has such a small venue been filled with so much scream-singing. It was phenomenal. There was a break after the bridge of the song, giving drummer Brad Hargreaves a chance to shine. He treated us to a full on techno jam, complete with guitar and dubstep samples. After Hargreaves unbelievable solo, the rest of the band returned to the stage to finish the last chorus of “Jumper,” later finishing the set with “Slow Motion,” “Motorcycle Drive-By,” and “Monotov’s Private Opera,” during which Jenkins threw handfuls of glow sticks out to the audience.
After a few minutes of chanting, Third Eye Blind took to the stage for an encore, finishing off the evening with the 3EB classic, “Semi-Charmed Life” and the newer “Water Landing.” The guys had all the professionalism of seasoned musicians, but the excitement and energy of a band on their first headlining tour. Overall, this show was fantastic, full of passion and excitement from both the crowd and the band. Stephan Jenkin’s said it best himself, “No one at a Third Eye Blind show is a spectator, everyone is a participant.”
Check out the video of Brad Hargreaves’ amazing drum solo from a show they played a few weeks ago.
