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10 AWESOME THIRD EYE BLIND LIVE MOMENTS

Written by Emilee Lindner / Photography By Dale McDonald / May 11, 2017

Third Eye Blind are celebrating the 20th anniversary of 1997's self-titled debut album this summer by hitting the road. And while on tour, 3EB will be playing said album in full every night, and then adding in some more recent stuff at the end.

But, before Stephan Jenkins and co. kick off their tour in June -- with Silversun Pickups opening -- we're stepping back and remembering the live moments that have led us to this point.

Bonnaroo 2016

With flying plastic lobsters soaring through the air and sunburned arms waving left and right, Third Eye Blind visited Bonnaroo in '16. The sound was crystal clear as they blazed through "Never Let You Go," "Rites of Passage," "Everything Is Easy" and of course, "Jumper."

SNL 1998

With Steve Buscemi hosting, Third Eye Blind took to Saturday Night Live to perform their third single, "How's It Going To Be." The track is a moderately tempoed ballad that has Jenkins pondering about his future without his lover. The band pulls off a cooler-than-you performance until Jenkins lets his emotions take over, bubbling into a choatic climax that may always be his strongest moment.

House of Blues in 2015

Third Eye Blind had a massive undertaking in 2015, playing a long slew of dates with Dashboard Confessional over that summer. Their House of Blues show in Orlando, Florida, was streamed for fans to watch. They played "Motorcycle Driveby" off their first album (so you'll be hearing that one this summer as well), "Everything Is Easy," "Jumper" and new song "Shipboard Cook." Near the hour mark of the 90-minute set, there's an intense drum breakdown by Brad Hargreaves with Jay Z's voice sampled, which had fans freaking out. It gave the rest of the band time to breathe before launching into "Rites of Passage."

Fillmore in 2007

Third Eye Bind played two shows at the Fillmore to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album in 2007. Talk about throwback to a throwback! In this clip, Jenkins sings "God of Wine," off that LP.

Las Vegas in 2007

Third Eye Blind took to the stage in Las Vegas wearing ridiculously outlandish outfits. A tophat perched atop Jenkins' head, and guitarist Tony Fredianelli looked cool in a long fur coat. During "Narcolepsy," Jenkins ran up to the balcony, where he then launched into a version of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated." Transitioning back to "Narcolepsy," he coursed up and down the balcony, shimmying among the fans who dared to stand in his way. He grabbed one kids' head and gave it a little shake, then took off his tophat and flung confetti down to the floor. What a night!

American Music Awards 1999

Nominated for Favorite Alternative Artist (Pearl Jam ended up winning), Third Eye Blind took the stage at the 1999 American Music Awards after getting an introduction from Brandy. They ripped through "Graduate" with the entire band chanting "Can I masterbate?" to an audience full glam A-listers. It's also worth noting that Jenkins is wearing Zubaz.

Australia in 1997

Let's go really far back in time! The same year that their debut album came out, they hit up Australian TV show Recovery to show the world down under their breakout single, "Semi-Charmed Life." This was back in the chin-strap era.

Seoul in 2010

For a while, 3EB didn't have a steady bass player, but the bassist they took on tour in 2010 was solid. The bass is the best part about their performance of "Semi-Charmed Life" at Jisan Valley Rock Festival. After a chill jam sesh in the middle of the song, Jenkins addressed the crowd: "You know what? They were right. You guys are actually the best audience in the world. It's true. You are the happiest, most beautiful, most alive people I've ever seen." You can tell it was genuine because in the footage, you can see the South Koreans bobbing and jumping ecstatically without a care.

The Tonight Show, 1998

Similar to their SNL performance, 3EB doled out the familiar guitar riff of "How's It Going To Be" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Except this time, Jenkins strapped himself into a leather straight jacket, as if to simulate the helplessness he feels in the song. The band was also accompanied by a string group to add to the dramatics.

SXSW 2007

In 2007, "Jumper" was turning 10, so Third Eye Blind definitely had the practice of dishing up the song onstage. At South By Southwest, they gave the song's intro an acoustic spin. And since they have experience with "Jumper" taking on different personalities, this rendition dragged out the track's calm-before-the-storm breakdown. Jenkins held out the microphone for fans to sing quietly as the band built up friction. The explosion of drums and guitars came with a sudden blast of elation as they rocked it out until the end.

Third Eye Blind 2017 Tour Dates:
06/09 – Miami, FL @ Bayfront Park Amphitheater
06/10 – Clearwater, FL @ Coachman Park
06/11 – Jacksonville, FL @ TBD
06/13 – New Orleans, LA @ Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square
06/15 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheatre
06/16 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
06/17 – Raleigh, NC @ The Red Hat Amphitheater
06/18 – Baltimore, MD @ TBD
06/21 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
06/23 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
06/24 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
06/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
06/28 – Toronto, ON @ Echo Beach
06/29 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
06/30 – Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheater
07/01 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07/02 – Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Presents Oakdale
07/06 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
07/07 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
07/08 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
07/09 – Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
07/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
07/12 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart Amp
07/14 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
07/15 – Dallas, TX @ Starplex Pavilion
07/16 – Lake Tahoe, NV @ Harvey’s
07/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
07/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
07/21 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coat Credit Union Open Air Theatre
07/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint at Hard Rock
07/23 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre

(photo by Dale McDonald)

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