Jimmy Eat World, No Knife, Acrobat Down
Fox Theater; Boulder, Colorado
Tuesday, May 18, 1999

Since this was the second time Jimmy Eat World has played here in as many months - a band that I'm not even that thrilled about in the first place - I wasn't all that excited about this show. In addition, I had tickets for the very first show of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" which was showing at midnight. Needless to say, I had every intention to bail on JEW if they played that late. Denver locals Acrobat Down opened the show, a band that I hadn't actually seen play for some time. That is, until I saw them two nights before. So, I only half-watched their set. Interesting points to note, though, was that their keyboard player had gotten married earlier that day. Why he was playing a show on his wedding night, I don't know. The same keyboard pl ayer was again notable because he was a new addition to the band (at least, in the time since I'd last seen Acrobat Down) and a bit hyperactive behind the keys, leaping about, very much like Eli from GVSB... No Knife was up next in the middle slot. They played a decent set, but I haven't even heard their last two albums and it's been years since I've heard anything else from them, so the material they played was mostly new to me. Since I'd never seen them before, I was glad to get the chance and was rat her impressed. Even though it's hard for a three-piece to put on a stunning show - there's not a whole lot of movement going on in their case - but their music was tightly delivered... Jimmy Eat World took their time getting ready it was obvious to me th at Star Wars was going to lure me away from their set. With all my opinions of their music aside, their stage presence is fairly stiff. Granted, it can be rather difficult to work a big stage and a big room well - to me, there are certain kinds of shows that just belong in a tiny club. They're a lot more exciting that way. JEW's energy just seemed lost in that room. They played their big HIT song, "Lucky Denver Mint", and that was enough for me. Fifteen minutes of their set and I was gone; off to "t he Phantom Menace", but ask me about that some other time.

- Andrew Bottomley