Pearl Jam saves the best for last
By Steve Morse, Globe Staff, 7/12/2003
MANSFIELD -- Three's a charm; or so they say. For Pearl Jam's third and last show at the Tweeter Center this summer, that meant a wild, three-hour-and-35-minute display. The band pulled out all the stops last night during a fiery effort that featured more than 40 songs.If you didn't get your money's worth at this show, then it's just not going to happen.
During the three-night Tweeter run, which is the most the band has done in any city this summer, Pearl Jam also fulfilled its mission to do a different show every night and to play every song in its repertoire for this tour. It didn't quite play every song in its catalog (that amounts to more than 100), but it played 93 over the three concerts, according to management.
That included a staggering 43 last night, spread over a special 50-minute opening acoustic set (the band's first such set since playing Neil Young's Bridge School benefit two years ago, said manager Kelly Curtis) then a monster electric set that blasted past curfew by about 30 minutes and boasted delirious encores of Young's ''Rockin' in the Free World'' and Creedence Clearwater Revival's ''Fortunate Son,'' with opening act Sleater-Kinney joining in strongly. (It was hoped the post-curfew noise didn't upset the neighbors in a nearby trailer park, since Pearl Jam gave them 250 tickets to attend the show.)
The acoustic set was highlighted by ''Drifting'' (a single that was originally made available to fan club members) and a stately ''Indifference.''
But the sparks really flew later, in the electric set, as the band rocked much harder than on opening night. It sizzled immediately with ''Can't Keep'' and ''Breakerfall,'' downshifted some on ''Wishlist'' (with singer Eddie Vedder botching a couple of lyrics), but all was forgiven on the so-called ''man trilogy'' of ''Leatherman,'' ''Nothingman,'' and ''Betterman,'' with Vedder regaining stride.
It was heavenward from there, as Pearl Jam blew the faithful away with early classics ''Blood'' and ''Jeremy,'' while blowing the lid off completely on the encores.
For Pearl Jam, it was mission accomplished.
Pearl Jam
At: the Tweeter Center, last nightThis story ran on page D8 of the Boston Globe on 7/12/2003.
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