Jimmy Eat World headlined the final night of Palace Bowl Presents at Crystal Palace Bowl on Sunday, August 16, playing their breakthrough album Bleed American in full to mark its 25th anniversary. Frontman Jim Adkins told the crowd it was an "honour" to play for them, and the band noted it was the biggest UK show they had ever played.
Celebrating a landmark album
The emo legends were supported by Rise Against, The Get Up Kids and Jay Som. The band opened with four songs from Clarity, the predecessor to Bleed American, including Lucky Denver Mint, before launching into the title track as the crowd began moshing.
Adkins said that Get It Faster received the "most gnarly" reception from a crowd ever. The concert drew 12,000 people to the park, and Adkins expressed gratitude throughout the set, saying, "I have so much gratitude for right now and being here. I can’t say thank you enough. So I’ll stop."
A night of highlights
The set included hits such as The Middle and Sweetness, and closed with the ballad 23 from Futures. The band's performance was part of Palace Bowl Presents, a new London concert series at the historic venue that attracted over 100,000 fans over three weeks. Other artists this summer included Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Gary Numan and Bastille.
Fans of all ages attended, with some parents bringing children, and one dad was seen helping his kid to crowdsurf. The band's playthrough of Bleed American was described as still sounding fierce, demonstrating the timelessness of the songs.
