Justin Nuoffer
Jimmy Eat World
w/ Diet Lite
5/9/25 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
The bright and sunny Milwaukee day had folks out and about early. The line to get in and up to the Eagles Ballroom started early. Hours beforehand, the parking lot behind the massive structure was full of life. People continue to enjoy the start to their weekend. The venue itself was going to be at full capacity with the ballroom and a sold-out rave room below going at the same time. Sud City was ready to turn out for their entertainment and Friday night decompression session.
The venue itself is massive and consists of many levels. The nearly hundred-year-old building has been a concert facility since 1992 and hasn’t looked back. Entering through the side door, you are ushered into the basement area housing Rave 2. Once past the security checkpoint, you walk up the stairs and into the main foyer with the box office to the right and the ticket checkers in front of the large wooden doors leading to the courtyard. The courtyard is set up for fans to purchase drinks and food before heading up the three flights of stairs into the Eagles Ballroom. The setup in the ballroom is different than normal. It is the half-room design where the stage is in the middle of the room. The capacity is roughly 3,000, and it became full in no time. Opera boxes and the standing room behind them were also packed.
Opening the show were alt-rockers Diet Lite, who were from right here in Milwaukee. The band consists of Evan Marsalli on drums, Kelson Kuzdas on bass, and Max Niemann with vocals and guitar. The high-tempo actions of the band grabbed attention from the very start. All three members never sat still for a moment.
Check out the Diet Lite concert photo gallery below:
The relatively young band was on the big stage in front of a massive crowd, completely unfazed. Their time was filled with eleven songs and plenty of commentary about various things. They spoke about playing before Jimmy Eat World, coming to The Rave for their first concert, and plugging future shows. Diet Lite was nothing but fun, and this moment in time was a great leap forward.
With the packed floor already loud and ready to have some fun, Jimmy Eat World took the stage and gave a few hand waves to the crowd. While they plugged in and looked around, the smiles hit their faces. Kicking off an extensive set of twenty-two songs was the gold radio single “Pain.” Immediately, the floorboards of the ballroom shook from the fans jumping around and having fun. The song was like a match to gasoline. They ignited a fire that never let up.
They followed “Pain” up with another track from the much-beloved Futures album, “Just Tonight.” All sorts of chaos broke open when the third song decided to dip into their once-in-a-lifetime classic album, Bleed American. An album considered by most to be a must-listen in the early 2000s has stood the test of time, and “Sweetness,” the silver-certified single, was a pleasant surprise so early on. The chorus booms and echoes through the ballroom, with the anthemic nature of the call and reply sections elevating the overall positive emotion that the timeless banger releases. As the song ended, lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins looked around and said, “We’ve been coming to Milwaukee to play this place for a long time. We have played in every room in this place. Multiple times. Thank you so much for supporting us over the years. Thank you so much. We love Milwaukee.” He then stepped back and took the view in again, then continued, “We have a lot of good friends here; it is special to be back. We don’t take it for granted that you came to see us when there is so much more you could be doing with your time.”
The Bleed American album had the most selections from it for the evening. Legendary tracks such as “A Praise Chorus,” “Hear You Me,” “If You Don’t, Don’t,” and “Your House.” The follow-up album to Bleed American, Futures, also played a major role in building the evening setlist. Beginning with two songs from it was a fantastic note to this being a career retrospective-type show, and why not? Jimmy Eat World has consistently pumped out hit after hit and is the background to a generation’s good times. Perhaps the best part was the songs from other albums and a lone single like “Something Loud.” Sprinkling the middle of the set with these gems kept the energy high. For a Friday night, this crowd was on an extra level. How could it not be? With songs like “Criminal Energy,” “Let It Happen,” “Blister,” and “For Me This Is Heaven,” Jimmy Eat World shelled out well-written art to massive celebration. The ballroom was alive with all of that positive energy. The band has been doing this together as one cohesive unit since 1995. For thirty years, the band has consisted of Adkins out front, Tom Linton, drummer Zach Lind, and bassist Rich Burch. They’ve produced ten albums and a lifetime’s worth of memories.
With two songs before the encore, the hits kept coming. “Bleed American,” the straight rock anthem on American disillusionment and societal desire for isolationism and distancing, fell right in pocket. The fast-paced tempo kept that fire burning within the Eagles Ballroom, and just when you thought the crowd couldn’t sing any louder than they had, here comes “The Middle” to blow the roof off of the place. The stage was covered in gold and orange, and with the room’s lights seemingly darker, the view was eye-pleasing. The fans danced and had their hands in the air. The atmosphere was electric and flooded with reassuring vibes and an unbridled desire to be free. Then, just like that, they walked off for the encore break.
Chants and screaming echoed around the oval room, and they re-emerged to re-earth “Call It In The Air” from Static Prevails, showing their early punkesque spirit, but knowing where we were at this point in the night, the eventual end was coming. Adkins made sure to walk up to the microphone and thank the enthusiastic crowd. For the next five minutes, they gave everything they had left to “The World You Love,” and there was no doubt that Jimmy Eat World is still adored by their fanbase, and they have no issues giving it right back. The playful back-and-forth is what gives the fans something to consistently come back to time and time again.
Check out the Jimmy Eat World concert photo gallery below:
Jimmy Eat World may be out on the road for a week, but this extensive set list is a work of art. Grabbing the attention of new and old, the direct nature of simply playing without gimmicks was a breath of fresh air. The climate and ambiance were incredibly delightful. It is hard to have watched this show and think anything other than that. With the Eagles Ballroom emptying out, it is understandable that folks had a bit of disappointment at having to leave. It was still a Friday night in Milwaukee. A city under a large rebirth and one that keeps acts like Jimmy Eat World coming back, so that pain is only temporary.
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