Jimmy Eat World returns home bigger than ever

By CHRIS HANSEN ORF
Get Out

Jimmy Eat World bassist Rick Burch clearly remembers the band's first Valley performance.

“It was actually at a used clothing store,” Burch laughs of the 1994 debut gig. “And there was about five people there.”

When the Mesa quartet returns to the Valley for Thursday's show at the Glendale Arena, it's a sure bet that there will be more than five people in the audience.

The gig caps off a steady 10-year rise from the band's ignominious debut to the group's first headlining performance in an arena-sized venue in their hometown.

While one would think that getting a major label record deal in the band's second year of existence would automatically lead to high profile Valley shows after the release of the group's first two records, 1996’s “Static Prevails” and 1999’s “Clarity,” the group still found themselves playing club shows.

“It was places like Hollywood Alley,” Burch says of the Mesa club. “I would say there were probably under a hundred people there.”

Other local venues the band played were Tempe Bowl and The Nile, not exactly the kind of hot spots a nationally known band would hit town to play.

Through steady touring Jimmy Eat World was building a national reputation as a group to catch live, and after the “Bleed American” album — whose name was later changed to “Jimmy Eat World” after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — the band exploded with “The Middle,” which became a Top Five single in 2002, and started packing larger venues nationwide as well as in their old stomping grounds.

“We played at the Mesa Amphitheater,” Burch says of the 4,000-capacity outdoor venue the band played on their 2002 tour.

With the release of “Futures” — which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard album charts — this year the group is playing bigger and bigger venues on their national trek.

“The tour's going great,” Burch says. “We've played some pretty big places in Chicago and Detroit.”

And Burch is anticipating the band's return to the Valley for the Glendale Arena show.

“It's going to be really cool,” the bassist says.

Jimmy Eat World
With: The Hives, Authority Zero, Story Of The Year Where: Glendale Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave. When: Today
How Much: $25
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