Jimmy Eat World - Believe in What you Want (DVD/EP)

Live EPs are usually something huge fans of the artist love but others don’t really care about. A hand full of songs everyone knows with maybe a rare cover thrown in for good measure isn’t enough to attract a lot of buyers, but sometimes it is a nice little extra. The EP in this set consists of five songs off the Bleed American album, the first 4 being live, and the last a studio rendition with no rarities and no covers. Nonetheless, the production and performance is stellar, and the boys sound in top form. Maybe this is not a disc I would have been immediately in line to buy, but its inclusion in the package gives you a great little EP to throw on and cruise to. The DVD consists of a 12-song concert filmed at the 9:30 Club in DC, a 45 minute documentary of the band and the recording of Bleed American, a 10 minute long acoustic session featuring two songs and a 10 minute piece consisting of the band talking about the genesis and history of each song on the disc. The audio quality of the concert is top notch, and it is an enjoyable set from the band. Refreshingly, the set list is not "new release" heavy but draws evenly from each of the bands full-lengths. Each song is performed with energy and skill, and the concert as a whole is very entertaining. The documentary suffers a bit from audio level problems. One member will be shown in a confessional type setting with very low and almost inaudible sound, then the film will switch to another piece of footage where the audio will be much better but consequently much louder than the first piece. While the problem is not annoying enough to make you stop watching, it is something that should have been toyed with to be smoother. The acoustic performance is nice enough, but the addition of the ten minute roundtable about the songs on the disc is a throwaway that would have served well as footage incorporated into the documentary, perhaps as a kind of postscript. Overall this is an entertaining and worthy disc from the band. I was a big fan of the Bleed American disc, finding it tight, focused and balls out poppy. The DVD provides more of the same and will be a welcomed addition to any fan's collection. Not a must have, but a nice package for a small price. [www.jimmyeatworld.com]