<\/p><\/div> Third Eye Blind (Alex LeCavalier, Stephen Jenkins, Kryz Reid and Brad Hargreaves left to right) came out from Sporting Park\u2019s stadium tunnels to a crowd of awaiting fans lined up against a barricade just before their concert on Saturday, July 18, 2026.<\/p>\n sophia.lindberg@kcstar.com<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n <\/p>\n AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Free cold towels and disposable fans were put to work in the sweating crowd, but the sizzling summer weather was welcomed by San Francisco-based \u201890s alternative rock band Third Eye Blind<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The crowd at Sporting Park were the ones getting the sunburn Saturday evening instead of lead singer of lead singer Stephen Jenkins \u2014 good thing that girl he sings about in \u201cNever Let You Go\u201d wasn\u2019t in attendance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Though dressed in black jeans and a cutoff flannel, Jenkins pronounced that it\u2019s a welcome change from his cloudy hometown \u2014 \u201cI\u2019m just down here to catch some summer vibes.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Third Eye Blind took to Sporting Plaza following a World Cup watch party<\/a> at Sporting Park<\/a> to deliver a \u201890s-infused, hour-and-15-minute set meant to be an avenue into the band for new listeners. The band is best known for their self-titled debut album<\/a> from 1997 containing hits \u201cSemi-Charmed Life\u201d and \u201cJumper.\u201d The album shot to fame, peaking at No. 25 in the US Billboard 200 and eventually going six-times platinum.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The band is known for their upbeat and catchy alt-rock instrumentals paired with lyrics with dark themes, cynicism and personal introspection.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mother-daughter duo Marissa Miller and Madison Brumley came to Sporting Plaza just for the band. Both have seen the band live before, but Miller subtly flexed one of their band tees from the era of their first album. Their favorite part of the band is those lyrics that say exactly what Jenkins means.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think they\u2019re really good with keeping trendy music, but the lyrics are deeper than the trendiness of the music. You know, even with the newer stuff, I still think the lyrics hit deeper for me than just the sound of their music,\u201d Brumley said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Miller added, \u201cAnd that\u2019s why they\u2019ve been able to hold it for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For example, the band finished the show at 13 songs but was called back out for an encore after the crowd chanted \u201cone more song\u201d over and over. Jenkins warned the crowd that the song he would play may not be \u201cappropriate\u201d for a sports event, but delivered the beginning-acoustic, raw song \u201cSlow Motion,\u201d singing in unison with the crowd that chose to stick around,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSee my neighbor\u2019s beating his wife,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Because he hates his life,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s an arc to his fist as he swings,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oh man, what a beautiful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One by one, band members reappeared to join in the intimate music unison.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Third Eye Blind knew the kind of venue they were playing. In the crowd, there was an equal mix of families with young kids who came for the family-friendly watch party and an age-diverse group of punk, alternative rockers. Jenkins asked after song 10 for the first-time Third Eye Blind concertgoers to raise their hands. After at least half of the crowd responded, confirming his suspicion, he told them that he made the set list specifically to introduce a new crowd to the band\u2019s \u201cvibe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But even people like Nicole Lewis, who came as a relative newbie with veteran Truman Wachter, realized they knew more songs than they thought.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs they played more songs, I was like, \u2018Oh, I know this song. I just didn\u2019t know I knew that song,\u2019\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some fans like Miller and Brumley thought the circumstances of the free show made sense for the band, as a way to keep relevancy and a returning cycle of fans discovering their music. Others thought the concert\u2019s association with soccer was strange.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I wouldn\u2019t take them as like big appealing towards like sports fans,\u201d said Aubri Rice, a fan since middle school.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rice\u2019s partner, Miles Cloud, added, \u201cI feel like soccer, with the World Cup going, everything\u2019s just so big right now. I feel it\u2019s just a good opportunity to have a big audience and people that love them and people that haven\u2019t met them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The band gladly covered their main hits, which nearly the whole crowd knew. Jenkins invited the crowd to sing along for their 11th song. \u201cJumper\u201d began in iconic fashion with its first line, \u201cI wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend,\u201d and from there, the crowd took over.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite the crowd and venue size being fairly small in comparison to even other World Cup-related concerts<\/a> in Kansas City this summer<\/a>, the fans could carry an entire chorus alone. During the song\u2019s guitar solo, Jenkins started the crowd in a clap. The repeated claps alone, no drums, carried the beat for the rest of the solo.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n By age 3, Miller ensured Brumley knew the lyrics to crowd-favorite and final pre-encore song, \u201cSemi-Charmed Life.\u201d And Brumley sure wasn\u2019t the only one to know them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The opening guitar riff clued the crowd in immediately. Everyone, 5 to 50 years old, erupted and threw their phones up. It seemed the band knew that they didn\u2019t have to make the performance flashy or overly produced, or even high-energy. The crowd would deliver the energy themselves.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The fans hit each high note concluding each chorus, sticking their pointer fingers up as if trying to physically reach the top of their vocal range, giving Jenkins a vocal break after a whole set\u2019s worth of screams and high-register notes. With instrumentals alone, the crowd sang the whole bridge and ended perfectly in time with the real song. As if bidding them a slightly premature farewell, given the encore, the crowd sang \u201cgoodbye, goodbye, goodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jenkins announced that he was going to make a memory for the crowd, asking them to wrap their arms around each other. Groups that came together linked shoulder-to-shoulder with others, and the whole venue swayed through the end of the song.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The entire concert was characterized by a positive, friendly and mannered vibe. The tone was set from song one, a song that Miller predicted they\u2019d play after seeing them live five times over the years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn concerts past, they come out with \u2018Thanks a Lot,\u2019 and that\u2019s just their way of telling everybody, \u2018Hey, we love you guys,\u2019\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jenkins made sure to repeatedly thank the crowd for \u201csticking around\u201d and \u201cloving us.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Early in the set, Jenkins told the crowd to turn behind them and meet someone they\u2019ve never met before. The band continued in the song \u201cNarcolepsy\u201d as instrumental backing music for the mass greeting. From there, the crowd rolled with it. In the heat, people who\u2019d never met prior fanned each other to stay cool. Fans revisited swaying together in the second and final song of the encore, \u201cHow It\u2019s Going To Be.\u201d This time without Jenkins\u2019 guidance, groups of friends joined in a slow, soft send-off to the band. Like directing a choir, Jenkins marked his hands in time for the crowd to finish out the concert.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When he found out that there were plenty of Third Eye Blind newcomers, Jenkins said, \u201cNow you\u2019re a part of it, you\u2019ll always be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This story was originally published July 19, 2026 at 8:49 AM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n Sophie Lindberg
\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A set for the longtime fans and new ones alike<\/h2>\n
Connections, pleasantries and Kansas City Nice<\/h2>\n
Third Eye Blind\u2019s set list<\/h2>\n
Main Set:<\/h3>\n
\n
Encore:<\/h3>\n
\n
Related Stories from Kansas City Star<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.kansascity.com\/public\/latest-news\/ceshsr\/picture315968895\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/sophialindberg-profile.jpg\")