Jimmy Eat World singer reflects on band’s 30-year history — and laughs at how it all began
If you’d told Jim Adkins back when he was teenager growing up in Arizona that at age 47 he’d be celebrating 30 years as frontman for a nationally recognized pop-rock band, he probably would have laughed in disbelief.
He would have laughed — then gone right back into his friend Zach Lind’s garage to jam some more rock music.
But as it turned out, that’s exactly what’s happening for Adkins, Lind and their band Jimmy Eat World: Since 1993, Adkins has been its lead singer and guitarist, alongside Lind on drums, Tom Linton on rhythm guitar, and Rick Burch on bass; and with now 10 studio albums to their credit, the boys responsible for hit songs like “The Middle” and “Pain” will make their way back to Charlotte this Sunday as part of a summer tour marking their three decades together as a band.
The Charlotte Observer spoke with Adkins before Jimmy Eat World’s performance at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre about growing up with his bandmates and cherishing the audience’s energy at live shows.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q. How does it feel celebrating 30 years together as a band?
It’s a trip. It’s really wild. Thirty years is not something that we ever expected or could plan for. I think we’ve done a really good job about setting realistic, attainable goals for ourselves.
Being in the band has been a rewarding experience the whole time. And fortunately, we’ve been able to sustain ourselves doing it.
Q. Does the rush of getting on stage ever get old? How have you been able to keep up the energy for so many tours and performances?
One thing that helps is getting rid of all expectations. I try my best to zero out. Every performance, I let the audience tell me what kind of show it’s going to be. By being truly present on stage, it’s a unique experience every time.
Our songs are the similarities that tie it all together, but I’m focusing on the energy that’s coming back at me from the crowd. That’s what tells me what’s going to happen next.
Q. Thinking back to the genesis of the group, did you ever have a moment with a realization like, “We can actually make something of this”?
I knew there was something special with the band right away. But I wasn’t convinced we could make something out of it until maybe 2011.
I’m still not totally convinced. (Laughs.) But I have more security in it. I’ve always felt like this isn’t really what adults do. This band has been together for longer than some things I’ve done that I do attribute adulthood to.
Which is strange and really rare, that we’ve stayed together as a band for so long. That fact is not lost on me.
Q. Where did the band name come from? Because you’re not the Jimmy mentioned in the name, right?
No, I’m not. (Laughs.)
Tom Linton comes from a big family. When we were in high school, one of his younger brothers, Jim, was a heavier-set kid. He got in a fight with his younger brother, Ed.
As revenge, Ed drew a picture of Jim’s head with a globe in his mouth — implying that Jim is so fat, he eats the world. Ed wrote “Jimmy Eat World” on the drawing and put it on his door for Jim to see when he got home from school.
This happened the day before our first show and we still needed a band name. Jimmy Eat World is what we settled on. And 30 years later, it’s still stuck.
Q. What was it like growing up with Zach since pre-k — and growing up with Tom and Rick since the band was formed? How has it been making music together for so long?
Are they going to read this? (Laughs.) It’s been the greatest experience ever.
We were all friends really before we were in a band. Zach’s mother was our preschool teacher, which is crazy to think back on.
I would go over to his house in seventh grade because I knew he played the drums. I played guitar, so together we would just jam out to metal songs. I’m sure his parents loved that. (Laughs.)
It’s funny, we rehearsed in his garage, and his next-door neighbors were deaf. For the longest time, they had no idea what was happening. They’d just feel the vibrations. It wasn’t until we were loading up for a gig one time that they realized there was a band playing in the garage next door.
Q. How do you hope your music connects with an audience, whether it’s in Charlotte or anywhere in the country?
The best way we connect with people is just being ourselves. It feels cliche, but it truly works. Not everyone is going to meet you where you’re at with the energy, but the right people will, and that makes it all worth it.
Jimmy Eat World will perform at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre on Sunday night. They are co-headlining “The Amplified Echoes” tour with Manchester Orchestra. Middle Kids will be the opening act in Charlotte.