Manchester Orchestra and Jimmy Eat World Rock Charlotte

The Amplified Echoes Tour Stops at Skyla Credit Union Ampitheatre

Just in time for the summer concert season, two of the hottest alt-rock bands out there have teamed up for a co-headlining tour for the ages, The Amplified Echoes Tour is bringing Manchester Orchestra and Jimmy Eat World to cities across America and fans have been turning up in droves for this double header show. Charlotte area fans were able to catch this show recently at Skyla Credit Union Ampitheatre and what a show it was.

Opening up the show, all the way from Sydney, Australia, was the alt-indie rock sensation known as Middle Kids. The band features the incredible Hannah Joy on lead vocals and guitar backed by the powerful rhythm section of drummer Harry Day and bass guitarist Tim Fitz. With smooth vocals and a bouncing indie-pop vibe, the group was the perfect way to kick off the evening. Go stream their latest single “Highlands” to see what all the hype is about. If you’re heading out to catch this tour, get there early because you absolutely don’t want to miss this set.

“Just try your best

Try everything you can

And don’t you worry what they tell themselves

When you’re away…”

Next up, we have the one and only Jimmy Eat World. The band has been around since the early nineties with their self-titled debut released to the masses in 1994. Of course, the band is known best for their 2001 album Bleed American which spawned the hit single “The Middle” which I’m sure you are familiar with, and even if you’re not, chances are that you’ve heard it in a movie or television show at some point. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost thirty years now, but here we are.

The wonderful part of this story is that Jimmy Eat World hasn’t lost a step. They still sound just as good as they did over two decades ago and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Led by lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, the band took the stage while still daylight here in Charlotte and ran through a phenomenal set that had us on our feet. Drummer Zach Lind and bassist Rick Burch set the pace for the guitar work of Adkins and Tom Linton. Even though the evening air was miserably hot and humid, Adkins sounded on point with his vocals, carrying over the crowd as fans sang along. It was an upbeat, positive set full of fun and fans showed their appreciation for the songs throughout. After rocking out for 17 songs with Jimmy Eat World, we were all hot and sweaty and although sad to see their set end, a break was much needed.

“But you, amplified in the silence

Justified in the way you make me bruise

Magnified in the science

Anatomically proved that you don’t need me…”

The final act of the evening was about to take the stage and everyone was primed and ready for Manchester Orchestra. Hailing from just a stone’s throw down Interstate 85 in Atlanta, the band’s beginnings go back to 2004 when frontman and only remaining original member, Andy Hull, was writing an album during his final year in high school. The musicianship and talent of Manchester Orchestra help set them apart from the masses as well as the complexity of their sound.

Every member of the band excels at their instrument with Andy Prince on drums, Tim Very on bass, and Robert McDowell on lead guitar and keyboards with Hull, of course, handling lead vocals as well as guitar. The vibe was moody with dark lighting interspersed with swaths of bright light and fog hovering over the musicians on stage. The music of Manchester Orchestra can take you out of space and time, transporting you elsewhere, somewhere deep in your own thoughts and mind. The band sounded fantastic and Hull is quite capable of eliciting both joyful screams and quiet contemplation from the audience. It was a set you had to experience audibly and visibly to appreciate. To experience it in communion with others is even better and that is what we got in Charlotte on this particular night, a coming together of musical souls that only comes with a band like Manchester Orchestra.

There’s still time to check out this impressive lineup for yourself as The Amplified Echoes tour runs through the end of August. Go grab your tickets today as this is one you don’t want to miss.

See the Full Gallery of the Evening Here!

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