Give us a wink
The resurrection of ’90s rock and Third Eye Blind
By Chris Jay 06/18/2009
The mid- to late ’90s was an amazing time to be a band. Long before music downloading and label mergers laid waste to the recording industry, bands were seemingly being signed on a daily basis. The airwaves were full of post-grunge, alternative rock-meets-pop bands who all strangely had numbers in their names. Bands like Matchbox 20, SR-71, Blink 182, Sum 41, Remy Zero, Eve 6 and Ben Folds 5 all ruled the airwaves. The king of that numeral-happy scene, for a brief time, was undoubtedly Third Eye Blind.
Taking its name for the metaphysical “mind’s eye,” the band caught the attention of the major label crowd with its second demo in 1995. Its lead singer, a hip-hop-loving, highly opinionated English major with a pretty face, Stephan Jenkins took full advantage of the opportunity. From challenging a label rep to let the band open for Oasis (they received an encore) to filling a piñata full of crickets at a showcase for Clive Davis’ Arista Records, the band prided itself on pushing the envelope.
Following a bidding war and a lot of buzz, Third Eye Blind eventually opted to join Elektra, a major label known for artistic freedom, with bands on its roster that included They Might Be Giants and Freedy Johnston.
Third Eye Blind released its self-titled debut in 1997 and exploded, seemingly overnight. Led by the massive feel-good but lyrically deceptive singalong hit “Semi Charmed Life,” the record went on to sell more than 6 million copies worldwide and produced five charting singles in total. The band toured the world, appeared on a gazillion soundtracks and even landed a performance on Saturday Night Live.
With the newfound fame, of course, came the perks. Jenkins took advantage of the celebrity lifestyle, dating actress Charlize Theron and being named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People. He also tried a foray into acting with a part in the Mark Wahlberg movie Rock Star. Stranger yet, like many celebrities at the time, he befriended male prostitute turned writer turned elaborate hoax, JT LeRoy whose friendship in Hollywood circles, prior to her outing as a literary charlatan, was like a badge of elitist honor.
Now with a bona-fide celebrity as a front man, the band’s second record, Blue, sold well but could never match the success of its debut. Somewhat unfairly labeled with the sophomore slump, the band also settled a big-time lawsuit with a former guitarist, days before it was to go to trial.
After extensive touring, Third Eye Blind took a minor hiatus, performing only a few times until the release of its third record, Out of the Vein, in 2003. The record was thrown into limbo when Elektra folded the same month it was released, leaving no radio push and only one video. More label chaos ensued with Atlantic, which had absorbed Elektra’s roster, and soon Third Eye Blind, which only seven years earlier was selling into the multimillions, was left to fend for itself.
Meanwhile, Jenkins began dating yet another celebrity, singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, whom he collaborated with for her sophomore record, which was considered a commercial disappointment after her breakthrough debut. When Jenkins openly battled a bout of “writer’s block,” leading to multiple delays of the band’s fourth album, Third Eye Blind fell beneath the radar.
That all changed with the 10th anniversary of its record when, much like Weezer in 2001, the band’s disappearance only served to grow its audience as a younger generation discovered the band’s edgy but accessible songs.
This past year, the band returned to the touring circuit with a string of successful college dates and a recent headlining slot at the Bamboozle Festival — a holy event for punk rock and emo fans — proving that a young mainstream audience is once again ready to embrace Third Eye Blind. With its eagerly awaited new record, Ursa Major, finally set for an August release, it’s solid proof that ’90s nostalgia has arrived, and presumably somewhere a metaphysical eye must be winking at us all.
Tuesday, June 23, at the Ventura Theater, 26 S. Chestnut St., Ventura. 639-3965, www.3eb.com.
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