Brandon Boyd of Incubus performing at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. August 16, 2017. Photo: Jared Stossel
Incubus
w/ Jimmy Eat World, Judah and the Lion
Shoreline Amphitheater
Mountain View, CA
August 16, 2017
Photos and review by Jared Stossel
There are a great deal of alternative rock bands from the 90s that once made it with platinum-selling records, only to see their careers fall from grace, either breaking up or playing venue circuits that aren't the band were formerly used to playing. Incubus is one of the few bands that has stood the test of time, having formed in 1991, having sold over twenty-three million albums worldwide, and still continuing to pack arenas to this day. The five-piece alternative act, who are currently on the road promoting their eighth studio album, 8, made a stop in the Bay Area at the legendary Shoreline Amphitheater last week, bringing with them a pair of highly memorable opening acts and a phenomenal live show that went late into the night.
Opening the show was up-and-coming alternative rock group Judah and the Lion (the band came through earlier this year when supporting Twenty One Pilots on their Emotional Roadshow tour stop in San Jose). They're an entertaining show, performing with a great deal of energy and a diverse number of instruments. Throughout the half-hour set, the band switches between guitars, keyboards, banjoes, bass guitars, and at one point even ditch the instruments for a rather humorous dance number. The band are currently on the road supporting their March 2017 release, Folk Hop N' Roll, an album title that accurately sums up the mix of genres you'll get when encountering their music.
To this day, it boggles my mind as to why Jimmy Eat World is not a band that is headlining amphitheaters or arenas. I can say with confidence that there were just as man people in the audience for the Mesa, AZ four-piece that has captivated audiences for years now. Jimmy Eat World opened with "Sure & Certain", the second track from their 2016 album Integrity Blues, before launching into a perfect rendition of "Bleed American", the massively high-energy track from the band's 2001 album of the same name. Their fifteen-track setlist powered through a diverse range of songs throughout the band's illustrious career, like "Big Casino" (Chase The Light), "Pain" (Futures), and "Lucky Denver Mint" (Clarity). Jimmy Eat World concluded their set with a powerhouse of track from Bleed American that included "A Praise Chorus", "Sweetness", and "The Middle". Ending their set on the perfect note, the crowd were more than ready for Incubus.
Incubus brought a twenty-two track, compelling and dynamic set to the Bay Area, beginning with "Quicksand" and concluding with "Aqueous Transmission". The crowd held onto every note and lyric throughout the course of the evening. One of the most compelling aspects of Incubus is watching how each member (vocalist Brandon Boyd, guitarist Mike Einziger, bassist Ben Kenney, drummer Jose Pasillas, and turntable/keyboardist Chris Kilmore) all play with such focus and precision. They all appear to be within their own world, while still collectively creating a sound that makes up Incubus. Interaction within the band is an important aspect to me when it comes to live shows, as it truly shows a crowd what a band's musicianship is like; you can't hide behind headphones in a live show environment, and it's thrilling to see that a band like Incubus has spent years developing and honing in their live show.
Some of their bigger hits ("Wish You Were Here", "Pardon Me") prompted larger sing-alongs than others throughout the night, but each song was just as compelling as the last. Incubus' Bay Area show proved that they are a band that must be seen, not just heard.
Incubus Set List:
Quicksand
A Kiss to Send Us Off
Nimble Bastard
Anna Molly
Love Hurts
Megalomaniac
Here in My Room
Stellar
Wish You Were Here
State of the Art
Pardon Me
Drive
Love in a Time of Surveillance
Pantomime
Sick Sad Little World
Dig
Loneliest
Pistola
Make No Sound in the Digital Forest
No Fun
Nice to Know You
Aqueous Transmission
Jimmy Eat World Set List:
Sure and Certain
Bleed American
Big Casino
I Will Steal You Back
Lucky Denver Mint
Futures
Pass the Baby
Pain
Work
Hear You Me
Always Be
Get Right
A Praise Chorus
Sweetness
The Middle
Incubus
www.incubushq.com
www.facebook.com/incubus
@IncubusBand
Jimmy Eat World
www.jimmyeatworld.com
www.facebook.com/jimmyeatworld
@jimmyeatworld
Judah and the Lion
www.judahandthelion.com
www.facebook.com/judahandthelion
This has been another Shameless Promotion.