Concert review: “Summer Gods” Third Eye Blind, Yellowcard, and ARIZONA greeted with warm energy in St. Louis | 06.29.24, Hollywood Casino Ampthitheatre (with photo gallery)

Photo of Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins by Laura Tucker

On Saturday night, the heat was relentless as melting fans poured into the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre to see the Summer Gods Tour with Yellowcard and Third Eye Blind. The members of the band ARIZONA took the stage as a bonus to the two heavy hitters to follow.

Actually not from the state they share a name with, New Jersey’s Zach Hannah (lead vocals), Nate Esquite (guitar), and David Labuguen (keys), came out with little fanfare at 6:30. The three-piece band did their best to take our minds off the summer swelter. They were a solid rock band with some good stage moves. Their thirty-minute set was appreciated by the fans who had gotten there early. If you are not familiar with their music, check out “Moving On” on YouTube to see what you missed.

We watched and waited for the lawn to fill up but the clouds moved in instead. This was a welcome sight. The thought of adding a little rain to this event sounded great! As it drizzled, the air got slightly thinner and the crowd did a combined exhale.

Yellowcard is one of those bands that brings enough heat on their own with a surf-rock style that pairs perfectly with a summer day. As I headed down front to prepare for their set, the temps were falling and the energy level was rising. They came out to a full crowd under the covered seating, though lawn attendance was still fairly anemic. The quartet comprised of Ryan Key (lead vocals), Sean Mackin (violin), Ryan Mendez (guitar), and Josh Portman (bass) have a fervent following and plenty of fans were there for them. Their pop-punk style is upbeat and contagious. It makes me wonder if this is what a Green Day and Blink-182 lovechild might sound like. They kicked off the night with a powerful set and seemed to have a great time on stage filling the venue with good vibes with songs like “Lights and Sounds,” “Only You” and crowd fave “Ocean Avenue.”

Something that stood out was the number of little ones in tow with their parents, getting their live music indoctrination. There was one kid who held his arm in the air through the entire Yellowcard set to show the band that he had a notebook and pen, all that was missing was their autographs. I ran into him again before the next set and it looked like his efforts had paid off. Rock on kid, rock on!

By 9:00, the lawn was likely dry enough to host the late-arriving fans who came to see headliners Third Eye Blind. These guys made a huge impact in 1997 when they released the self-titled album that put them on the map, with so many of us playing the CD on repeat and singing along to the top of our lungs. They played those hits tonight, including “Semi-Charmed Life,” “How’s It Going to Be,” and “Jumper,” but to hear them, you had to stay to the very end.

Coming out into a thick haze of fog, frontman Stephan Jenkins and crew started slow but steady with “Motorcycle Drive By,” a rendition of “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure that they have dubbed “Dust Storm,” and then “Never Let You Go.” Aside from the unmistakable vocals of Jenkins are the distinguishable guitar notes that help form the band’s distinct sound. I took the time to notice the Fender Stratocaster attached to lead guitarist Kryz Reid as he was creating these recognizable notes.

The collection of band members including Colin CreeV on keys and Alex LeCavalier on bass were covered in sweat within mere minutes of starting the show. It didn’t take long for Jenkins to shed his jacket and kick it up a notch with “Graduate,” hitting the notes that we all expected to hear. Fans on the front row knew every song and a young woman with a toddler was one of them. Thankfully she had hearing protection covering the ears of the tiniest fan in attendance. They both seemed to love the experience. What a story she will have to tell when she is old enough to talk!

“Jumper” and “Semi-Charmed Life” have become anthems of a generation and are the songs that will continue to live on through the kids who came tonight. Another way this band will leave an indelible mark is their work for climate change. An article found on SPAC.org had this to say: “As always, a portion of the proceeds will benefit SeaTrees. Third Eye Blind has been on a mission to restore the kelp ecosystems of the entire California coastline and sequester carbon. Since 2017, Third Eye Blind has sought to mitigate the touring industry’s carbon impact and also banned plastic water bottles backstage, saving an estimated 17,000 bottles per tour.  “We have a beautiful, bright future,” with climate action in the center of it.  “That’s what I want people to know,” Jenkins told CBS Mornings.” Congratulations to those who bought a ticket. You did something great!

I, for one, will never grow tired of their music. For me, this group and this show are “like a sunburn – I would like to save.” | Laura Tucker