Third Eye Blind - Our Bande Apart

In March of 2020, I had tickets to see Third Eye Blind perform in my favorite venue in D.C. – the 930 Club. It sold out immediately and I was so excited to have secured tickets. However, just a few weeks before the date of the show, everything changed, and the world was turned upside down by the pandemic.

Over the months that followed, I learned to adapt to the changes. It wasn’t easy at first, but in time, I learned to appreciate the quiet, the slower pace, the time at home, and the opportunity to self-reflect on life, what it important, and the direction in which I saw my life heading. Music played a major role in my life during that time and many artists who once felt so untouchable, became as close as good friends – sharing songs from their living rooms, with their kids, or even just sharing their feelings on the pandemic.

Stephan Jenkins and Third Eye Blind really set out to connect with the fans during this challenging time. I would look forward to Stephan Jenkins’ Tequila Tuesdays on Instagram, his random live acoustic songs with his dog on the front porch, or his live feed that would just give us a glimpse of how he attempted to stay busy during lockdown. He challenged us to stay safe, wear masks, and be kind to each other. He and guitarist, Kryz Reid, would get together for socially distance performances from time to time and the full band even performed a mini-concert live-stream all from their separate homes during lockdown, which was pretty impressive to say the least! You can check out Motorcycle Drive By on Stephan Jenkins’ front porch here and the distance live performance here.

Just about 18 months later, almost to the day, not only did I finally get to see Third Eye Blind perform, but they released a new album, Our Bande Apart, the day before the show. I had been listening to the singles they had released on Spotify and Youtube and was enjoying what I heard; however, I was not prepared for the full depth of this new album. Third Eye Blind has literally been the soundtrack to my life since my very early 20’s in college. They were the band that saw me through love, loss, depression, joy, marriage, divorce … my now teenage children have even adopted them as one of their favorite bands and Third Eye Blind is already becoming the soundtrack to their lives.

Every album has been important to me, in some way.

But, Our Bande Apart is different.

The world is different.

I am different.

You are different.

Third Eye Blind is different.

Written and recorded during the pandemic, you can clearly hear the musical influences on Stephan Jenkins’ writing. I can imagine that music was a lifeline for him, just like it was for me during the time spent alone. I have enjoyed listening to the songs and catching the hint of a familiar melody, drum beat, or guitar riff. The album has a continuity to it and is truly meant to be listened to from start to finish. There isn’t a single song I feel compelled to skip.

The day after the new album was released, Third Eye Blind performed at the Spyglass Winery in Central PA. Their setlist included mostly “fan favorites” such as “Thanks A Lot”, “Never Let You Go”, and “Losing a Whole Year”. They only performed two songs from the new album, their first single, “Again” and (I believe) the first ever live performance of “Box of Bones”, which Stephan Jenkins performed acoustic and included a 2-minute chat with fans about how this album is a bit different for them but that he feels like he is his whole self in it. He continued to share about how it took him a long time to get to the point as an artist where he doesn’t care what people think and added that he wishes that for all of us, to have that type of confidence too. “I hope you guys just skip right to the end and get that feeling that I have”.

Maybe this album isn’t quite understood by some fans.

But it doesn’t matter.

For those who get it, we get it.

Our Bande Apart has a message if you listen closely. In just 32 minutes, the 9 songs will take you through a journey – a journey about change, about reflection, about saying goodbye to what “was” and looking forwards to what is ahead. Then album ends the way it begins; with a piano melody and a reminder that things have changed and it’s okay.

If you haven’t yet (or even if you have), I encourage you to listen closely and enjoy this new album by Third Eye Blind.