Pearl Jam delivers triumphant return to UtahPEARL JAM, BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS7, E Center, Sept. 28
WEST VALLEY CITY — When critics make their picks at the end of the year for the best concerts in Utah in 2009, Pearl Jam should get extremely high consideration.
Eleven years after last performing in the Beehive State, Pearl Jam made a triumphant return Monday night, playing with an energy and making a connection with the audience that few acts can achieve. By the time the band got to the final guitar chords of "Alive" during the second encore with the house lights on, the crowd was worked into a frenzy.
Lead singer Eddie Vedder was both charismatic and intense all evening. He walked on stage with his book of notes, which he kept as close to him all evening as his bottle of wine, and started off with the great "Of The Girl."
"It's been 11 years since we've been here. Time flies when you're making records," Vedder told the crowd. "You could go to high school, college, get a job and get fired in 11 years."
The stage included decent lighting and a Pearl Jam banner as a backdrop. But big video screens or pyrotechnics weren't needed as Pearl Jam let the music speak for itself.
For more than two hours, the band played a great mix of old and new material. In fact, there were so many highlights during this show that it's nearly impossible to mention them all.
"Hail, Hail" "Given To Fly," "Daughter/Sympathy For The Devil/W.M.A." "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In A Small Town," "Immortality" and "Do The Evolution" were among the traditional favorites. The crowd sang loudly for "Even Flow," which included an extended guitar solo from Mike McCready. McCready, who was literally running circles around the stage, had lightning quick guitar solos all night.
The band also played a healthy selection of material off their new album "Backspacer," including the driving "Got Some," "The Fixer," "Amongst the Waves" and "Supersonic." Right before a wonderful "Just Breathe," Vedder invited Salt Lake couple Greg and Rachel to the stage where Greg, in front of 10,000 fans, got on one knee and proposed (she said 'yes.')
The audience was a veteran Pearl Jam crowd. The band is known for never repeating two set lists. Just about any song from their entire catalog is fair game on any given night. And the band's loyal following will still know every word. Partly for that reason, the band gets a heavy following of fans who travel from city to city to see them, and Monday was no exception.
The E Center show was really one for the longtime fans as the band pulled out some deep tracks like "Bee Girl," "Crazy Mary," "Blood," "Satan's Bed" and "Red Mosquito."
Other highlights included "Marker In The Sand," "Low Light" and the Ramones' "I Believe In Miracles."
The backbone of Pearl Jam, longtime Seattle band mates Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, were solid all evening as was drummer Matt Cameron. Together, Pearl Jam musically remain one of the tightest touring bands today.
Utah fans had waited a long time for Pearl Jam to return, and they got more than their money's worth Monday as the band proved why they are still one of the best live acts in the world today.
à un concert de PJ !
C'est NASCAR ou WWE, alors (spécial dédicace Matt "The Undertaker" Showman)
