The alternative rockers of Jimmy Eat World will take the stage at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium tonight. With a new album and national tour, Jimmy Eat World still knows how to rock after forming 14 years ago. The Post's Caitlin Price spoke to lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins about the band's career and his dreams to collaborate with Shakira.
The Post: How's your tour been going so far?
Jim Adkins: The tour has been awesome.
Post: I know that your new album came out a couple weeks ago. What's been the audience's response to that?
Adkins: It's been really, really good. It came out on the 16th, but maybe a couple weeks before that it was available on the Internet. Some people call it a leak. But I think it was interesting because even before the album came out we started up doing shows and there'd be pockets of people who were outwardly showing they were the most ++ber fans by knowing the new lyrics first. There's definitely people in the audience who are kind of showing that they know the new stuff.
Post: How does this new album differ from your previous releases?
Adkins: I think the biggest difference is the way we approached making the album. Over the years we've gotten more and more into recording ourselves G? and we decided that we wanted to take on a bigger production role. Take on a little bit more of responsibilities in actually making the album.
Post: So what's your favorite song off the new album?
Adkins: It changes all the time. I like them all for different reasons I guess. I wouldn't say I have a favorite. They're all my favorites.
Post: Now I know the band's been around for a while. How have you guys progressed musically since then?
Adkins: We've progressed in I guess every way you can G? I guess when you're learning when you're just starting out you're making accidents a lot, and you're just kind of running with them. That's not to say you don't make them everyday now G? Now I think I have a better understanding of where to take that in a direction that's going to make sense G? For us it's the challenge of working within structure, working within, like, a pop arrangement. It's about trying to find things that challenge us and push us, but also working within a foundation.
Post: Where did the band's name come from?
Adkins: It was something funny that one of (Jimmy Eat World guitarist) Tom's younger brothers said G? We thought it would be a fun band name. It's one of those decisions you make when you're 18 and it haunts you for the rest of your life.
Post: If you could perform with any musician or group, who would it be and why?
Adkins: Shakira.
Post: Shakira? Why?
Adkins: No I don't know. That's tough. I was kidding about Shakira. (laughs) I'd like to collaborate with Shakira writing a bunch of belly dance (music) on the solo guitar for her to dance to. I don't know, I mean, there's a lot of people out there I'd like to work with.
Post: What's your favorite part about performing at a college campus?
Adkins: The captive audience. I remember going to college ' I went to school in Flagstaff. It's a smaller town G? It's not on any major routes. It's the kind of place where something happened and everybody in town went to it G? I think, we appreciated that. It was something cool G? You can make it fun. People are really appreciative of it.
Post: Would you say that you like performing for a college audience better?
Adkins: They're just different, maybe that's the most important thing about touring and playing, putting yourself in as many situations as you can so you can learn from it. Club shows are fun for their own reasons, playing for big festivals are fun for their own reasons and playing on universities are fun for their own reasons.
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Jimmy Eat World released a new CD in October and will stop in Athens tonight as a part of their national tour.
