Third Eye Blind brings their Summer Gods Tour to the arena at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville Connecticut July 21, 2022

July 25, 2022
International Concert Reviews
by Jody Wilk Photographer/Writer

Tonight’s show was at the arena at The Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville Connecticut. Although the crowd was small while I was waiting to meet my casino contact to be escorted to the pit, by the time Third Eye Blind hit the stage there were an estimated 6000 excited fans in attendance. I was glad to be inside an air-conditioned arena, as we were still in the middle of a heat wave in Connecticut.

Hockey Dad is an Australian Surf Rock band comprised of lifelong friends Zach Stephenson and Billy Fleming. Their name came from a video game played on an episode of the hit television show, The Simpsons. Zach and Billy started the band in 2013. They have 3 studio albums out, with their most recent, Brain Candy, placing number 2 on the Australian charts. Hockey Dad went on at 7pm and played a short 30-minute set. They definitely have a no frills, punk rock sound. Give these guys a listen if you like surf rock, punk rock, or garage bands.

Hockey Dad is:

Zach Stephenson – Guitar, lead vocals

Billy Fleming – Drums

Steve Bourke – Bass guitar

Setlist:

1.I Missed Out

2.I Wanna Be Everybody

3.Good Eye

4.T’s to Cross

5.Itch

6.Join the Club

7.Seaweed

Taking Back Sunday was formed in Long Island, New York in 1999 and is celebrating their 20th anniversary of their debut release, Tell All Your Friends, with a re-issue on 10″ vinyl. They also just released a new song last month called “Just Us Two“. With an impressive catalog of 7 studio albums, this 4-piece alternative rock/punk band was a thrill to see perform. They played a 13-song set with a mix of songs spanning their career. I was not familiar with Taking Back Sunday before tonight, but I was highly entertained by their energetic 90’s punk/alternative rock sound. Although I only got to see a few songs of their set, I was really impressed with their sound and overall performance.

Taking Back Sunday is:

John Nolan – Lead guitar, keyboards, vocals

Adam Lazzara – Lead vocals

Mark O’Connell – Drums, percussion

Shaun Cooper – Bass guitar

Setlist:

1.Title Wave

2.Set Phasers to Stun

3.Liar (It Takes One to Know One)

4.Just Us Two

5.Timberwolves at New Jersey

6.You Can’t Look Back

7.You’re So Last Summer

8.Flicker

9.Ring Song

10.A Decade Under the Influence

11.What it Feels Like to be a Ghost

12.Cute Without the ‘E’

13.MDS

This was my first time seeing Third Eye Blind, and I was impressed by their extensive stage setup which included several ramps leading up to a drum platform at the top. On the second level of the stage setup was a piano. As a backdrop, they had birch branches with lots of strobe and LED lighting. Lots of smoke billowed from the sides of the stage with strobes from the rear and saturated red and blue lighting dominated the night. With about 6000 fans in attendance, Stephen Jenkins voice was on point throughout the entire hour and forty-minute set. During the middle of their set, Stephen said that they like to change up their set sometimes and proceeded to play “Get Me Out of Here” for the first time on this year’s tour. They played all their hits, including “Jumper”, “Never Let You Go”, “Slow Motion”, “Semi-Charmed Life”, and more. The crowd was on their feet for the entire 25 song performance. Later in the set they played “Box of Bones” off their most recent studio album, Our Bande Apart, which was released in 2021. Colin Creev seems just as at home on the guitar as he does on the piano. They ended the energy filled evening with “How it’s Going to Be”. You can catch them on tour across the United States through mid-August.

Third Eye Blind is:

Stephan Jenkins – Lead vocals, guitar

Brad Hargreaves – Drums, percussion