Rockfreaks.net

support Turnover
author PP date 07/06/18 venue KB, Malmö, SWE

Usually traveling to Malmö for concerts is a breeze. You hop on the regional train from the central station, and half an hour later you are near most of the venues in the city. Today, however, is like total chaos. Multiple trains are canceled and delayed, and although our train arrives on time, it can't leave on time because... the train operator is on his way to Copenhagen in a delayed train from Malmö. Hilarious stuff, but not for us who are thus destined to miss the first half of Turnovers opening set. Finally, we do make our way to KB Malmö, where the venue is already more than half full, and loudly chatting away over Turnover's quiet indie rock.

Turnover

Turnover are about halfway their third song when we get in the door, fully encompassed in their light, relaxing, beach-like atmosphere. Those having turned up to hear material from the first album, a dreamy, post-hardcore driven opus, are going to be sorely disappointed as the band have no intention revisiting that era, concentrating on the tranquil, fragile indie rock style instead of their later material. On record, it sounds pretty good, but in a live setting the vocals don't sound as soothing nor as flawless as they do on the studio material. The light soundscape exposes them as off-tune and slightly awkward, which is probably the reason why large segments of the crowd are loudly chatting over the band playing. Combined with an uneventful, stand-still performance, the experience isn't exactly particularly memorable despite a few quality songs being aired.

Jimmy Eat World

Good evening, vocalist Jim Adkins nonchalantly introduces his band on stage before the band open with "Sure And Certain". From here onwards, it's an atmosphere that is best described as magical for large portions of the evening. Jimmy Eat World's back catalogue is so strong that the band can pretty much freely select from it and play what the like and the crowd goes with it. Not always with the big sing-alongs nor with much visible admiration in the form of pits or the like, but just soothing applauds and cheers after each song, documenting the sheer quality of song we're witnessing on stage.

On stage, Jim Adkins & co showcase their signature passion and energy in their respective spaces: it's a charming, down-to-earth vibe that epitomizes the inner coolness this band exhibits. It's a while ago since the band played arenas, but Adkins still sings like he means it, and as such we are taken on a journey through the different styles and soundscapes of Jimmy Eat World tonight.

From the heavier, post-hardcore influenced alternative rock material of early 2000s to the experimental and more introspective era from later albums, the songs just work. It speaks volumes about the level of consistency of their songs in general: they're just rock solid through and through. The highlights tonight are "Futures", "Pain", "Lucky Denver Mint", and pretty much everything after "Blister" as the band sets up for a fantastic finish with the likes of "Bleed American" breaking the crowd out into a sing along, with "A Praise Chorus", "Sweetness", and "The Middle" finishing the show on a high note.

In between, the band has sandwiched classics and more experimental material, and even "Ten" which was specifically requested by a fan in the crowd in advance of the show. During the mid-section it's easy to become hypnotized by their relaxing alternative rock songs, or be charmed by the occasional anecdote by Jim Adkins, such as when he casually reminisces about a 1999 Lund show and what a good time it was back then.

In the end, we leave the venue satisfied: 23 songs and 90 minutes+ of Jimmy Eat World doing what they do best: exposing the breadth of their back catalogue with crystal clear sound throughout.

Setlist:

• 1. Sure And Certain
• 2. I Will Steal You Back
• 3. Big Casino
• 4. For Me This Is Heaven
• 5. Futures
• 6. Polaris
• 7. Pain
• 8. Pass The Baby
• 9. Kill
• 10. Get Right
• 11. Lucky Denver Mint
• 12. Ten
• 13. Always Be
• 14. Hear You Me
• 15. If You Don't, Don't
• 16. Love Never
• 17. Dizzy
• 18. Blister
• 19. Work
• 20. 23
• 21. Bleed American
• --Encore--
• 22. A Praise Chorus
• 23. Sweetness
• 24. The Middle

No photos tonight, because of an overtly aggressive photo contract by Jimmy Eat World's management preventing our photographer from signing the photo-release form