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Pearl Jam rocks out like it's Saturday night
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It was billed as a Pearl Jam concert, but perhaps it should have been called "Sing-Along With Ed."
The most memorable moments during the Seattle band's epic two-hour-and-40-minute show at the Forum came when singer Eddie Vedder was joined on vocals by the sold-out crowd several times during the night, and by actor Tim Robbins during an encore.
Early in the first show of a two-gig stint at the Forum, Vedder acknowledged that it was Sunday, but vowed that he and his four comrades would treat it like it was a Saturday night, and the quintet didn't disappoint. More than 15 years into its career, Pearl Jam may be the world's most unlikely party band. If you're unfamiliar with the group's material, just consider the titles of its most recent radio hits -- "Life Wasted" and "World Wide Suicide" -- or Vedder's often dour, messiah-like stage presence, rivaling U2's Bono for delivering heavy messages with the music.
On Sunday, Vedder and company found a nice balance, focusing mostly on entertainment while managing to get a few key points across. Even the most downbeat songs, including the suicide-themed monster hit "Jeremy" -- which was transformed into the night's first sing-along -- came across triumphantly.
Vedder's charisma may rival Bono's, but Pearl Jam is quite different from U2. While the Irish band strived to be the biggest band in the world, Pearl Jam has been retreating ever since "Ten," its 1991 debut album, became one of the best-selling rock albums ever. Each subsequent release has sold fewer copies as the band shunned traditional marketing tools like music videos, railed against Ticketmaster and used its own star power to bring attention to its unsung heroes. On Sunday, punk veterans Sonic Youth opened the show, and Vedder tried to ensure that the biggest crowd possible saw the band by performing "Porch" as a solo acoustic number before introducing the opening act.
Pearl Jam's own set included the same sort of risk-reward tactics. The band peppered its list of favorites with songs from its latest self-titled effort, though the new songs, like the heart-breaking "Unemployable," served as a bathroom break for some. That song reminded Vedder that he had to dance around a potential political hot potato. Fans entering the Forum were greeted by janitors and stagehands striking over a proposed pay cut. Vedder said when the show was booked, he was unaware of the labor dispute, but he does support the unions.
There also was a dirty joke about vice president Dick Cheney and an updated version of Phil Ochs' "Here's to the State of Mississippi," with Vedder and actor-activist Robbins taking stabs at President Bush. More times than not, however, Pearl Jam's show was about having a rocking good time, not too different from the best classic rockers. That point was driven home by a lights-on cover of the Who's "Baba O'Riley" and guitarist Mike McCready's set-closing, Jimi Hendrix-like recital of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
