It was ’90s night at Gallow Green this past Thursday as Third Eye Blind rocked the stage at Abercrombie and Fitch’s summer party at The McKittrick Hotel’s rooftop bar.
The storm may have been brewing, but that didn’t stop the crowds from lining up outside The McKittrick Hotel, a scene usually caused by the city’s longest standing interactive play Sleep No More. But on Thursday, it was all about the nostalgia.
Abercrombie has certainly changed a lot since the ’90s, but some things remain the same — the phrase “Going shirtless is overrated” covered Gallow Green’s walls to the delight of the many guests snapping and Instagramming throughout the night. Attendees included actress Jamie Chung, model Jeneil Williams, DJ Chelsea Leyland, actress Ashley Madekwe, model Atlanta De Cadenet Taylor, and more.
Australian indie dance band RÜFÜS DU SOL, who killed it last week at NYC’s Panorama Festival, kicked the night off with some current tunes. Meanwhile, guests snacked on sliders and fries and stood in line for hours for Abercrombie jeans. But then it was time for the main attraction.
Rüfüs Du Sol at Abercrombie summer party???#rüfüs
A photo posted by kenny chen (@kennypchen) on
Third Eye Blind left no fan behind during their short but sweet set of top hits, from their early hits to to their more recent tunes. They started off the night with “Never Let You Go” from their second album and followed it up with “Everything Is Easy” from 2015’s Dopamine. Next up was classic singalong “Motorcycle Drive By” followed by Beyonce cover “Mine” and then it was back to 2015 with “Something In You.”
But the band saved the best for last, performing “Jumper” and “Semi-Charmed Life” to a crowd singing along (well, screaming) to every word.
A photo posted by Julie Vadnal (@julievadnal) on
Third Eye Blind has had a bit of a renaissance lately. Two weeks ago, the band played a show at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Under the guise of a traditional show, the band took the opportunity to talk about LGBTQ rights to the crowd of conservatives. On Monday afternoon, lead singer Stephan Jenkins penned an op-ed for Time magazine explaining why he did it.
“I also called out the GOP platform on LGBTQ rights. I think my words were galling to so many on the right not just because I was not behaving as artists usually do (as a compliant guest / song-and-dance man), but also because I was putting the spotlight on issues to a Republican Party that seems to want its focus instead on emotions: fear, anger and hatred.”
Later this year, Third Eye Blind will release their new EP “We Are Drugs.” Just this week, they released their first single off that album called “Cops vs. Phone Girl,” a song about police brutality.
The band may be celebrating their 23rd anniversary this year, but Abercrombie and Fitch is celebrating 125 years. What a semi-charmed life.
