Third Eye Blind Brings the Heat and the Hits to Brookfield Zoo’s Roaring Nights

Jul 25, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By Kelly Clausen

With the sun setting behind the giraffe enclosure and the scent of popcorn mingling with humid summer air, 4,500 fans packed into Brookfield Zoo for a sold-out edition of Roaring Nights, the zoo’s long-running summer concert series. The headliner? None other than San Francisco alt-rock veterans Third Eye Blind, delivering a career-spanning setlist that thrilled Gen Xers, millennials, and even a few wide-eyed Gen Z fans tagging along with their parents. One of which, in the front row against the rail, was with her family celebrating her birthday. Seeing Third Eye Blind was her gift.

This was a real treat for Third Eye Blind fans as they are not on an official tour this year. This is just one of a couple one off gigs in between a planned tour for 2026.

The zoo’s Roaring Nights series dates back to the mid-1980s, when The Beach Boys christened the first show on the South Mall lawn July 6th, 1984. Since then, it’s hosted a wild variety of acts like Macy Gray, Johnny Cash and Los Amigos Invisibles to name just a few, but Friday night marked the first time an act as era-defining as Third Eye Blind took the stage and the turnout knew it.

As temperatures hovered in the mid-90s even after sundown, the Chicago-area heatwave didn’t stop the sold-out crowd from dancing, singing, and swaying. Fans clutched lemonades and cold beers, fanning themselves with zoo maps as the band launched into the rarely played opener, “Thanks A Lot,” a deep cut that immediately earned cheers from diehards.

From there, it was hit after hit: “Never Let You Go” brought a surge of nostalgia that had the whole lawn singing in unison. “Graduate” exploded with energy, with fans raising fists to the chorus. The anthemic “Jumper” prompted an emotional singalong, arms around shoulders, strangers becoming friends in the summer haze. By the time “Semi-Charmed Life” hit, the field was a blur of movement.

“It’s like a summer dream,” said one fan near the front. “I never thought I’d see this band, let alone at a zoo!”

Frontman Stephan Jenkins, always quick with a quip, acknowledged the unusual setting during the set. “Well, this is something new,” he said, scanning the sea of people and surrounding animal habitats. “We’ve never played a zoo before. But honestly… this is pretty rad.”

Jenkins is joined by long time collaborator (since 1995) drummer, Brad Hargreaves as well as guitarist, Kryz Reid, bassist Alex LeCavalier and the relative new guy, Colin Creev since 2019.

The band closed their main set with “How’s It Gonna Be,” the bittersweet classic that still hits with emotional weight nearly three decades after its release. But the highlight for many came during the encore.

Returning alone with an acoustic guitar, Jenkins stood under a single spotlight and delivered a hauntingly intimate version of “I Want You.” Telling us that this show is very loose as they are not on tour. That he got a request to play it, but it’s not something they play ever so if he messes it up, no one will notice. The audience cheered then hushed, hanging on every word as the song floated above the treetops and into the warm night air singing along with every chorus.

The rest of the band came out for the final songs completing a super set of 18 songs. Closing out just as the sun set behind the giant ferris wheel. But before wrapping it all up, Jenkins had one more note for the crowd. “We’re gonna be on Q101 Monday morning,” he grinned. “Well, actually… we already taped it. But just pretend it’s live, okay? Laugh at the jokes like it’s all new.”

As fans filtered out past the carousel and the dimly lit zoo paths, you could still hear snippets of lyrics being hummed or sung under breath. For many, it wasn’t just another concert, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, soundtracked by one of the most beloved bands of the late ‘90s, in one of the most unexpected venues in Chicagoland. How often is world famous musical talent found in the backyards of a small suburban community, or even more, a zoo?

Third Eye Blind didn’t just play the zoo. They made it unforgettable. And the young fan in the front row got even more than she hoped as a stage hand gave her a setlist making the night even more memorable.

For more on Third Eye Blind, click here

For photos from the show, click here

For more on Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s ‘Roaring Nights’, click here

=============================================================================

Setlist: Third Eye Blind live at Brookfield Zoo Chicago – June 18th, 2025