It's Jimmy Eat World Day in Phoenix. Mayor says they 'built this city'

Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article included an incorrect reference to Wooden Blue Records.

Oct. 17 is officially Jimmy Eat World Day in Phoenix.

Mayor Kate Gallego dropped by The Van Buren on Thursday to present the local music legends with a proclamation declaring it so before their soundcheck for a sold-out show at which they celebrated the 20th anniversary of “Futures” by playing the album in full.

Gallego said Jimmy Eat World was being honored for having "built this city," having "made it cool" and having been "a force in the music industry for three decades over the course of 10 albums."

She praised the members of Jimmy Eat World for having consistently been advocates of the local music and business communities while assisting nonprofits with their talents and philanthropy.

She also touched on highlights of their "impactful" 30-year career. They've grown to be known internationally, she said. "But they will always remember their roots in Arizona."

Jim Adkins called the honor 'an unexpected surprise'

In accepting the honor, singer-guitarist Jim Adkins said, "Thank you so much for the honor and we're proud to call this our home. This is an unexpected surprise and we're... I've got no words. This is just really amazing. Thank you so much."

Adkins expanded a bit on those feelings in the press conference that followed.

"When we were growing up, it was rare that a local band would draw more than 1,000 people," Adkins said. "And it was even more rare to hear about somebody who would break out of the scene, so to speak. And we've just been really fortunate to be able to do both."

It's something he never expected. "You can't have expectations for this when you're working on your art, on your craft," he said.

"The fact that anyone bothers to make the time to connect with it is just an amazing compliment. The biggest compliment you can get as a musician or an artist is having people connect with it."

As for Jimmy Eat World Day, he said, "This is, like, a really big deal and we're really grateful for everything that has come our way."

Zach Lind thanked 'our 1st group of fans' for making this day possible

Drummer Zach Lind thanked the local fans who sent them on their way. "Obviously, we wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for our first group of fans," he said.

"When we started out, we were teenagers or high schoolers and we started doing shows here in town. And the only reason we got to where we are now is because there was a little cluster of kids that connected to what we were doing....'

'So in the end, we have to thank those early fans who came out and supported us and kind of gave us a sense of 'Hey, maybe we're on the right track.'"

Next up for Jimmy Eat World: When We Were Young in Las Vegas

Bassist Rick Burch said he'd been thinking about those formative years a lot in the leadup to playing "Futures" live at the Van Buren and revisiting their breakthrough album, "Bleed American," a few days later at When We Were Young in Las Vegas Oct. 19-20.

"It has reminded me about those early, early times and the people that came to the gigs and gave us that momentum to move forward," he said.

Asked if they had any big plans for Jimmy Eat World Day beyond the show at the Van Buren, Lind said, "I'm really gonna milk this next year when it's Jimmy Eat World Day and there's nothing going on and I'm at home, and I'm like, 'Hey, family, it's Jimmy Eat World Day.' It's like another Father's Day."

30-year journey to Jimmy Eat World Day

Adkins and Lind, friends since preschool, were seniors at Mountain View High School in Mesa when they formed Jimmy Eat World in 1993 with guitarist Tom Linton and founding bassist Mitch Porter, both of whom had gone to Westwood High in Mesa.

They'd managed to generate sufficient buzz on the strength of a self-titled debut released in 1994 on a Phoenix-based imprint called Wooden Blue Records that Capitol Records offered them a deal in 1995. They signed just after parting ways with Porter. His replacement — Linton's friend Rick Burch — has been their bassist ever since.

Their first record on Capitol, "Static Prevails," hit the streets in the summer of 1996.

A second album, “Clarity,” followed. Although the album failed to chart in 1999, it went on to be viewed as something of a seminal recording, one of two albums by Jimmy Eat World to make Rolling Stone magazine's countdown of the 40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time.

Breaking through with 'Bleed American' and 'The Middle'

Adkins and his bandmates chose to come up with the cash to cut their next move, "Bleed American," which went on to become their mainstream breakthrough after they had signed their second major-label deal with DreamWorks — thanks in large part to the airplay they were getting on a single called "The Middle."

Despite a title change after Sept. 11 for fear that "Bleed American" could be misread as "Bleed, American," the now-self-titled album was certified platinum in mid-2002.

"The Middle" peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100, also topping the magazine's Alternative Songs chart. In 2009, by which point "Bleed American" had reclaimed its original title, "The Middle" was covered by Prince at his post-Oscar bash at the Avalon Ballroom in what a reporter from Rolling Stone called a "true-to-the-original" rendition. Seven years later, Taylor Swift lip-synced the song in an Apple Music ad.

100 essential Arizona records: 2000s to now

Following 'Bleed American' with their 'darkest album,' 'Futures'

“Futures” arrived three years after the release of “Bleed American.”

In a news release, the band called “Futures” both “our darkest album” and “the hardest for us to make,” but also “the first record we made where we didn’t feel like we were making it anonymously.”

“Futures” hit the Billboard album charts at No. 6, going on to be certified gold while sending “Pain” to the top of the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

They’ve had a total of 15 songs on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, from the title track to “Bleed American” to “Something Loud,” a 2022 release inspired by the nostalgic appeal of the When We Were Young festival, where they'll play “Bleed American” in its entirety.

The one-night-only performance of “Futures” on Oct. 17 at the Van Buren marked the first time Jimmy Eat World played that venue.

This is a celebratory year for Jimmy Eat World, who previously honored the 25th anniversary of “Clarity” with the February release of “Clarity: Phoenix Sessions (Chapter III),” a limited-edition double album pressed on sun-kissed colored vinyl.

In addition to 20 years of “Futures,” their gold-certified fifth album, they’re marking the fifth anniversary of “Surviving,” their 10th album, with two new releases, making “Futures: Phoenix Sessions (Chapter V)” and “Surviving: Phoenix Sessions (Chapter X)” available on vinyl for the first time.

All three albums were recorded live in early 2021 as part of Phoenix Sessions, a partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents on a global streaming performance series filmed at the Icehouse in Phoenix.

Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: It's Jimmy Eat World Day in Phoenix as band celebrates 'Futures'