With more than twenty years of success in the music industry and stage experience on their resume, it’s no surprise that as soon as Incubus enters the stage, almost any large crowd becomes instantly captivated by the band’s effortless stage presence and frontman Brandon Boyd’s unique vocal range.
As the heat began to dissipate and the crisp evening air crept into the venue, fans anxiously filed into their seats beneath the pavilion with cold drinks in their hands, while others got comfortable on the lawn taking selfies and sending Snapchats of the stage. Alt-rock group, Incubus, along with special guests, Jimmy Eat World and Judah & The Lion, joined Pittsburgh fans at the Key Bank Pavilion on Wednesday, July 26, for an indescribable evening that showcased the headlining bands’ old and new material that was recently released on their eighth studio album, 8, this past April.
Despite being the opening act to Jimmy Eat World and Incubus, two extremely well known alternative bands who found success in the 90’s music scene, Judah & The Lion came onto the stage filled with evident enthusiasm. With ease, the group was able to channel their energy into their performance, and get the still growing crowd off of their feet and dancing. Kicking off their performance with one of their singles, “Suit and Jacket” from their 2017 album, Folk Hop N’ Roll Deluxe, the group bounced around during their set before covering T-Pain’s “Booty Work” and comically dancing at the apron of the stage. During the group’s finale performance of “Take It All Back,” frontman Judah Akers, ran through the pavilion and into the lawn where he danced with fans, before returning to the stage to close out the group’s set.
As the pavilion echoed with applause and excitement, guests moved around the venue to get refreshments and meet with friends on the lawn, while the audience in the pit continued to steadily grow. Jimmy Eat World opened their set with their 2016 single, “Sure and Certain” from their ninth studio album, Integrity Blues, before leading into “Bleed American.” The heavy riffs and upbeat tempo drew the crowd from their seats and onto their feet. Despite frontman Jim Adkins joking with the crowd that the group only had an hour on stage, they effortlessly flowed through their heavily packed set list like a well-oiled machine. Ending their performance with “Sweetness” and their number one hit, “The Middle,” Adkins crooned the group’s major hits before bidding the crowd farewell.
Following Jimmy Eat World’s performance, the audience on the lawn, beneath the pavilion, and in the pit swelled. The final remnants of sunshine faded into the horizon while the crowd eagerly awaited Incubus’ arrival to the stage. As the stage transitioned from a red hue to dark blue LED lighting, Incubus made their way on to the stage. With a piano positioned to the right of the stage, frontman Brandon Boyd stood in the center of four large ground speakers with his eyes closed during their opener, “Quicksand” before leading into the first single, “Nimble Bastards,” from their newly released album, 8.
Despite Incubus’ rise to fame in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the group has never allowed one album or one song to define their musical abilities and sound. As the band continued to perform a jam-packed set, they made sure to hit fan favorites, such as “Anna Molly,” “Pardon Me,” and “Drive.” As the deep blue hue that filled the stage faded, the crowd was introduced to a warmer atmosphere as yellow and orange flooded the stage and pavilion. Following the group’s performance of “Wish You Were Here,” Boyd crooned the opening verse of Pink Floyd’s song of the same name, which caused the crowd to erupt with applause.
As the late evening drew on, the band pleased the audience with an encore performance of “Aqueous Transmission,” another favorite of many, before exiting the pavilion stage. Overall, the simplicity that Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, and Judah & The Lion delivered to the Pittsburgh crowd, made for an unforgettable evening.