Growing up as the son of MLB player and coach Jack Lind, Jimmy Eat World drummer Zach Lind is well‑versed in baseball. So having the chance to open for My Chemical Romance at Chase Field on Sunday, Sept. 6, feels like pure “sweetness.”
“It’s going to be an interesting experience to play in the stadium where I watch baseball games,” he said via Zoom. “I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a great show. MCR is a great band and, in a lot of ways, underrated.”
Mesa-born Jimmy Eat World is touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Bleed American,” the band’s breakthrough record that delivered the hits “The Middle,” “Hear You Me” and the stadium-ready “Sweetness.”
Lind said he has fond memories of the Bleed American era.
“Before Bleed American came out, we had never been to the U.K. at all,” he recalled. “We had only toured a little bit on the mainland of Europe. We didn’t have much presence.
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“The U.K. can be a tricky market sometimes. The first show we played there was at the Garage, a smaller venue than the Crescent Ballroom. It was pretty tiny because no one knew who we were. By the end of the Bleed American album cycle, the last show we played was at Brixton Academy, which we had read about in music magazines.”
The Garage’s capacity is 600 people; Brixton Academy holds 5,000.
“It felt like a really cool accomplishment to work our way up,” he said.
“Bleed American” is considered a cornerstone of the emo/alt‑rock sound of the 2000s. Bands such as Paramore, The Wonder Years, The Maine and Hot Mulligan have cited Jimmy Eat World as an influence.
“Sweetness” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 during a 33‑week run, earned RIAA platinum status, and in 2024 joined Spotify’s Billions Club — helped along, perhaps, by Taylor Swift lip‑syncing the song in an Apple Music commercial.
On July 24, the RIAA presented Jimmy Eat World — vocalist/lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and Lind — with double‑platinum certification. Phoenix declared Oct. 17, 2024, Jimmy Eat World Day.
Looking back at the “Bleed American” sessions, Lind said he wouldn’t change a thing.
“The sequence feels great,” he said. “When we’re playing the album now, it feels really good. I think, in a lot of ways, everything came together in a positive way. We had to hire a manager. We had to find a record label. I feel like we just got lucky.
“‘Bleed American’ was probably the only record where we felt like we had that support and momentum from the label; people believed in us. Everything about it was pretty magical.”
Lind believes the band’s longevity comes down to the songs — and the connection fans continue to find in them.
“We’ve tried to maintain our own identity,” he said. “We try to provide fertile ground for the audience to connect to the music. Our goal is to steer people toward connecting with our songs. Everything we do is based on that.”
Adkins’ lyrics resonate because he’s down‑to‑earth and authentic, Lind added.
“That’s really important because, over time, people can sniff out people who aren’t being themselves,” he said. “It rubs you the wrong way a little bit and might make you dismiss them. Jim shows up as who he is, but always puts forth the greatest effort he can. Fans appreciate that.”
