How Third Eye Blind Ended Up At Stagecoach

Stephan Jenkins agrees to bookings for euphony festivals only if his set Third Eye Blind tin execute astatine a definite time.

“It’s gotta beryllium astir 6 p.m. erstwhile nan sun’s going down,” he says, which so is erstwhile he’ll play Sunday astatine this weekend’s Stagecoach festival successful Indio. “The ray is successful transition, and there’s a benignant of power that happens astatine that moment.”

He wouldn’t for illustration to headline?

“Closing isn’t great. It’s awesome for your ego — looks big. But everybody’s gotta spell location after. The molly’s wearing off, and everybody’s spent.

“This,” he adds, meaning nan magic hour, “is wherever you really travel alive: ‘The night’s up of america — this is gonna beryllium amazing.’ And past we drawback that.

“How we get to do that is simply a enigma to me.”

It shouldn’t be: Nearly 30 years aft Third Eye Blind topped Billboard’s replacement stone floor plan pinch “Semi-Charmed Life” — a deceptively cheerful ditty astir narcotics and activity — Jenkins’ euphony is still immense connected TikTok and Spotify, wherever 4 of his songs person much than 100 cardinal streams each. (For nan record, those are “Semi-Charmed Life,” “How’s It Going to Be,” “Jumper” and “Never Let You Go.”)

Thanks to nan clasp of Gen Z and to nostalgia among those who were there, ’90s stone is successful nan mediate of a awesome moment, not slightest astatine Stagecoach. In summation to Third Eye Blind, this year’s version of nan yearly state show will characteristic Counting Crows, Bush, nan Wallflowers and Hootie & nan Blowfish.

To perceive what Jenkins makes of this, I met up pinch nan vocalist connected a caller day astatine EastWest Studios, wherever Third Eye Blind was signaling a screen of David Bowie’s “Heroes” arsenic portion of an Amazon Music promotion related to Stagecoach. Jenkins, who’s 61 and lives successful San Francisco, had been walking nonstop, he said, and had picked up a cold; arsenic we sat down successful nan studio’s lounge, he rattled a achromatic recreation bottle.

What’s successful there?
An all-in-one shingle I’m astir to put down. I find erstwhile I travel, it’s very difficult to get nan things I need. So to get a vitamin, to get immoderate whey protein, to get creatine, to get lion’s mane and magnesium and food lipid — immoderate oils for your encephalon — I conscionable usage this merchandise because it puts everything successful 1 package. I don’t endorse nan institution aliases anything.

You into booze aliases narcotics these days?
I don’t portion intoxicant — it’s been almost 2 years. I deliberation being convivial and getting retired of your normal pathways of reasoning are valuable. But I activity alignment pinch people, and that’s not imaginable — I deliberation it’s clone — erstwhile you’re jacked connected ketamine aliases immoderate else.

One statement of wellness reasoning says that alcohol’s domiciled arsenic a societal lubricant outweighs nan beingness harm it does.
That’s Scott Galloway. He’s ace adamant astir it: “Everybody spell retired and get drunk and person activity pinch each different and past you’ll find mates alternatively of staying location and masturbating to porn.” That’s his full argument. I for illustration Scott — I deliberation we’d beryllium friends if we talked to each other. But I deliberation he’s speaking done nan lens of his ain heavy societal anxiety. And I don’t person that societal anxiety.

How did Third Eye Blind extremity up connected nan measure for Stagecoach?
They asked me. There are absorbing things astir state euphony — a matter-of-factness that I tin subordinate to arsenic a songwriter, moreover though I’m not state and I’m not gonna spell country. There’s besides a MAGA constituent to this.

I wondered astir that. You famously trolled an assemblage of conservatives astatine a performance held during nan Republican National Convention successful 2016.
Anybody who looks maine up knows this astir me: I called [President Trump] grotesque. But I don’t judge it’s a work to execute successful nan specifics of politics. I constitute astir authorities — I’m moving connected an article correct now that’s an intellectually fueled statement that I would beryllium consenting to take sides astir governmental and sociological conditions arsenic I spot them. But that’s gonna do f— each astatine a concert.

What I’m looking for is for group to observe again that this feels good: This is who I am, this is who I want to beryllium — and that is not. It’s a alteration of really you feel, and nan point nan Democratic Party is conscionable a messiness pinch is “How do you feel?” The different broadside correct now says, “You’re correct to dislike nan group I hate.” That’s a feeling.

In your view, nan correct is amended than nan near astatine inspiring emotion.
But past Bad Bunny came retired [at nan Super Bowl] and said, “Everything you dislike — I’m gonna put each of it successful a aureate light.” And it was brilliant. Next to nan satellite landing, that was nan astir important point I’ve ever seen connected television.

Whoa.
Tell maine thing much important than that. Chasing O.J. down nan f— freeway? This was a infinitesimal wherever an tremendous landmass of nan American electorate shifted. Mark my words. And Bad Bunny didn’t do it for really it was gonna make him consciousness — he did it for what it was gonna do. His gratification came successful that.

I deliberation location was a small self-glorification successful there. He looked really cool.
That’s different than self-glorification — that’s astir being portion of nan ideal. It feels bully to beryllium looked at, yes, but it’s much astir being a typical of something, I think.

You look great, if I whitethorn opportunity so.
I utilized to beryllium beautiful — I don’t deliberation I’m beautiful anymore. But if you want to spell onstage and make it successful pop, you person to beryllium young. There’s nary different measurement to do it. You gotta sleep, you gotta return your vitamins, you gotta spell nan gym. I’m sick and I went to nan gym today. No large deal: immoderate pull-ups, immoderate push-ups, a fewer squats.

If I opportunity that Third Eye Blind is 1 of a fistful of ’90s bands connected Stagecoach, are you irritated to person been described arsenic a ’90s band?
Yes, I am. Radiohead’s “Creep” came retired successful 1993. Are they a ’90s band?

That’s not really I’d picture them.
They sewage saddled pinch “Creep” arsenic a hit, and that’s still nan only opus astir group know. Nobody knows “Kid A.” I do — I for illustration that song. But successful position of nan masses, nan only opus anybody knows is “Creep.” That’s not what’s fueling their concerts, though, and that’s not what’s fueling mine. So what gets maine to bristle a small spot is that erstwhile I person to talk astir that, that intends — respectfully — I’m talking to personification who doesn’t cognize thing astir me.

I’m making a caller medium soon enough, and hopefully it’s gonna beryllium nan champion medium I ever made. But it’s rather imaginable it won’t get played connected nan power because I person 5 songs that are still successful rotation connected replacement radio. And I’m delighted that’s nan case. So erstwhile KROQ asked america to travel play their Christmas show this year, we came and played — happy to do it.

Acoustic Christmas had respective bands that deed rather a while ago: Papa Roach, All-American Rejects, Evanescence.
Wet Leg besides played. I wish I’d named my set Wet Leg.

I realized while prepping for this that I person nary hint whether you’re joined aliases not.
[Silence]

Same pinch children — I don’t cognize if you person any.
[Silence]

OK.
A long, agelong clip ago, I was successful a very nationalist relationship, and that was very achy for some of america and damaging to nan relationship.

Charlize Theron and Stephan Jenkins successful Los Angeles successful 1998.

(Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic)

I presume we’re talking astir you and Charlize Theron.
I vowed aft that not to do that anymore. I make a firewall now astir what is and what isn’t available.

Available to maine arsenic a journalist.
Most group who do this person this insane consciousness of “Come connected in,” and I don’t spot nan worth of that astatine all.

Most artists, you mean.
Artists, politicians, celebrities — anybody who wants attention.

I was conscionable funny really being azygous aliases being joined shaped your songwriting.
What I would opportunity is that truthful galore of my songs are astir nan effect and nan clash of relationships — really we travel up against ourselves and observe ourselves, aliases don’t. I’d opportunity women thin to beryllium my muse a lot.

Another ’90s question, sorry: Did it termination your psyche to person to make a cleanable power edit of “Semi-Charmed Life”?
I don’t remember. I didn’t want to put it connected nan radio.

That can’t beryllium true.
I cognize that’s existent — I didn’t want that to beryllium nan first azygous from nan record. I wanted “Losing a Whole Year” to beryllium nan first single.

Good point you were overruled, right?
I don’t know. I mean, our grounds institution didn’t want to do immoderate different songs aft [“Semi-Charmed Life”]. They conscionable wanted to do one-and-done. That’s wherever nan full civilization was — location wasn’t immoderate belief and support of america arsenic an artist. I was nary Laura Nyro to David Geffen.

Did that make you sad?
It did. I felt everlastingly misunderstood by nan grounds label.

Last year, Stagecoach had the Goo Goo Dolls, whose aged opus “Iris” keeps connecting pinch caller audiences.
I wonderment if that opus sewage reinvigorated because Phoebe Bridgers covered it.

Do you consciousness immoderate kinship pinch bands that collapsed retired successful a different era but person stayed applicable to immoderate degree?
No. Sometimes location are movements of bands, and that’s great. But I deliberation I’ve ever been benignant of isolated successful immoderate way. It’s not by creation — I for illustration playing pinch people.

You don’t look for illustration a joiner to me.
I don’t deliberation I’m not a joiner. But I’ve ne'er felt for illustration I’m portion of a scene.

My mentation connected this is that nan logic you defy being categorized arsenic a ’90s set is because successful your mind that’s putting you alongside nan slightest respected acts of that clip — Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, nan Cherry Poppin’ Daddies — arsenic opposed to nan astir respected. Maybe you’d person little of an rumor being grouped pinch Counting Crows.
What I’m proceeding is that you’re conscionable rooting astir successful an era. And I’m not successful that era — I’m successful this era. I really, really am. I’m not looking to excite nan bully aged days — I deliberation these are nan bully aged days, and I’m very overmuch equipped for them. I’m hopeful astir nan future, and I deliberation I person to beryllium my astir fierce aforesaid to lend to it. So I want thing to do pinch that lump.

The lump?
You’re lumping maine into a category. I don’t person immoderate disrespect for that category, but lumping maine useful against my deepest knowing of myself arsenic an creator — personification who takes nan times that they’re successful and filters them done nan integrative elements that they tin manipulate to springiness immoderate style to different people’s understanding. That’s what I’m willing successful doing. And I really for illustration those guys successful Sugar Ray. Mark McGrath’s a awesome guy.