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By Paul John Caña, Contributor
A full decade may have passed since Stephan Jenkins first
displayed his tongue-twisting singing skills on the smash hit
“Semi-Charmed Life.” But his band Third Eye Blind still packed
in the crowds on their one-off show Friday night in Ortigas Center.
Of course, it may have helped that they were
here to headline the kickoff of San Miguel Beer’s annual
Oktoberfest extravaganza, which draws in thick beer-guzzling
audiences every year regardless of who’s on the marquee.
Regardless, the fast-approaching-middle-age trio of Jenkins, Tony
Fredianelli and Brad Hargreaves proved they still had it in them
when they performed their alternative rock hits in front of a
visibly delighted, if somewhat slightly intoxicated set of party
revelers.
“We’ve been on a lyrical writing spree,”
Jenkins said to members of the press a day before the big show to
explain their absence from the mainstream music scene for the past
five years. “We’re finishing our fourth album, and I can say
that we’re a much more confident band now.”
Third Eye Blind released their eponymous debut
album in 1997 and immediately hit it big with such tracks as the
previously mentioned “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Losing a Whole
Year,” “How’s it Going to Be,” “Jumper,” and
“Graduate.” Along with such bands as Matchbox Twenty, Vertical
Horizon and Collective Soul, 3EB was part of the wave of alternative
rock bands that defined the whole “alternative” era in the
1990s. With catchy hooks that enveloped deeply personal, oftentimes
quirky lyrics, 3EB were one of the biggest-selling acts of the
decade. Their sophomore release, Blue, wasn’t as successful, but
nevertheless spawned hits like “Never Let you Go,” and “Deep
Inside of You.”
Soon after the release of their third album, Out
of the Vein, in 2003, their label Elektra was unexpectedly
dissolved, and very little was heard of the band. But Jenkins, who
was very chatty during the press conference despite their somewhat
tired appearance, admitted they were very excited at the launch of
the upcoming CD. “It’s not gonna be an emo record,” he said,
tongue firmly in cheek. “We expect the first single to be out in
November and the full album in February 2009.” Jenkins added that
it was the writing for this new album, which sources claim will be
entitled Ursa Major, that they consider to be the most challenging
aspect of their 10-year career.
The onetime beau of Hollywood superstar Charlize
Theron also sounded off on the shifting landscape of music
distribution, particularly on sharing of music over the Internet.
While he lamented that CDs were practically nonexistent in the
United States these days—“Hardly anybody over there buys CDs
anymore,” he quipped—he was gladdened nonetheless that music
industry executives were losing much of their clout because of the
prevalence of sharing digital music over cyberspace. “I’m glad
they don’t have the power anymore and fans can enjoy the music
more easily,” he said.
I couldn’t let the band leave without asking
about the song that started it all: “Semi-Charmed Life.” The
monster hit was a sweeping paean to teenage rebellion and angst that
has been used in half a dozen movies and TV shows. “It’s a song
about never quite arriving, never really being content about
anything; wanting something more,” Jenkins said. “And I think
there’s something sweet and sad and melancholic in that.”
“It’s a song about sex and drugs,”
Hargreaves pipes up.
Of course. Could it really have been about anything else?
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