I’ve often said that music is a time machine. It triggers long-forgotten memories, reminding us of where we were or what we were doing the first time we heard a song, who we loved or hated at the time. While those memories may not always be good, music also has the power to heal. It is an architect building bridges that connect us to one another at various points throughout life. It bridges racial and language barriers and weaves itself in and out of different genres. Humans have gathered together since the dawn of time to sing and dance and in the midst of that gathering, for that moment in time, we are free from the burdens of daily life.
That moment came for me on Saturday, November 16th, a cold night (by Orlando standards) at Hard Rock, Live. The weather did not stop the masses from lining up outside to see Third Eye Blind. Fans young and old gathered to hear music and sing along, dance and leave our worries behind for a while. The doors opened promptly at 7pm and the fans flowed into the venue, hundreds of fans smiling and waiting in anticipation of what was to come.
The show was set to start at 8pm and opened with Indie Pop band Smallpools who took the stage and didn’t waste any time getting this crowd warmed up with their song “Stumblin’ Home”. I had never heard of Smallpools before, but I am ALWAYS open to listening to new bands and am often pleasantly surprised. While I may not have been familiar with them, they definitely had fans in the crowd, many of whom sang along while the crowd swayed to their tunes. I was especially happy when they covered “Creep” (Radiohead), one of my all-time favorite songs. If all of that wasn’t enough, an inflatable Orca was tossed around the crowd as they ended their set in preparation for the headliner.
Third Eye Blind, a.k.a 3EB is an American band that, in my opinion, needs no introduction. They are currently on a 17 show, Fall tour in support of their newly released album Screamer (10-18-2019). Screamer is the sixth studio album released by 3EB since its formation in 1993. It had been a long time since I had seen them in concert, so while I didn’t have any doubts I would enjoy the show, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
3EB took the stage at 9:15 and hit the crowd with a one, two punch as they opened with “Thanks a Lot” and “Never Let You Go”, followed by “Wounded” and then an awesome medley of “Can You Take Me” and “London”. There were several medleys played this night as the crowd sang along to every song. 3EB took us on a journey through time as they played both old and new songs.
The crowd was singing and dancing as they sang several new songs such as “Screamer”, “Walk Like Kings” and “Tropic Scorpio”. The pinnacle of the night for me was watching the crowd interaction during the performance of “Jumper”. I was anticipating hearing this song and judging by the audience, I wasn’t alone. Listening to a crowd at a sold-out show sing their hearts out gives me goosebumps every time and was one of the highlights of THIS night for me.
This was an absolutely fantastic show. Third Eye Blind transported a sold-out venue through time on a musical journey. People came together and drank and laughed and sang along as their problems faded away for that brief moment in time. Third Eye Blind has been transporting us for 25+ years, and they don’t show any signs of stopping.
Enjoy photos of Smallpools and Third Eye Blind performing on November 16th at Hard Rock Live – Orlando, Florida. All photos copyright and courtesy of Chris Cornett.
