Monday, July 20, 1998
Pearl Jam proves that rock is still alive in L.A.
MUSIC: Band sets aside Ticketmaster battle to play thrilling
live show
By Mike Prevatt
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Rock ‘n’ roll returned to the Forum last Monday as Pearl Jam
served up one of the most exciting, emotionally fueled shows Los
Angeles has seen in a very long time … and it has been a long
time since Los Angeles has seen the Seattle group.
In its reluctance to deal with Ticketmaster, Pearl Jam has tried
to avoid playing in Los Angeles for the past seven years. Thanks to
contractual obligations between the giant ticket agency and most of
the live performance venues in the area, however, the group did
play an Indio date in 1993. Yet after the defeat of their
historical antitrust campaign and a reconsideration of their
touring priorities, the band allowed Ticketmaster to distribute the
tickets for two Forum shows.
Judging by the wildly emphatic crowd, the fans showed Pearl Jam
how much they have missed their favorite band with rafter-shaking
singalongs and deafening screams. Judging by their extraordinary
performance, Pearl Jam showed these starved fans how much they have
perfected – and learned to love – their craft, with
goose-pimple-inducing anthems and note-perfect musicianship.
As Pearl Jam walked onstage and began playing the slower,
lamenting "Sometimes" (from 1996’s "No Code"), it seemed the show
would be a quieter, soul-searching performance to highlight their
improved songwriting. But with the following onslaught of such
hard-driving yet equally moving songs like "Corduroy" and "Hail
Hail," vocalist Eddie Vedder and company began what would become a
’70s arena rock revival.
Yet it would be silly to dismiss the show as merely an homage to
the days when real rock bands like Aerosmith and Kiss created the
notion of the loud, fist-pumping, rock ‘n’ roll show. Pearl Jam,
even in all its Led Zeppelin-meets-Neil Young-meets-The Who glory,
came across as the definitive ’90s rock band with its tremendous
catalog of songs recounting the battles that have led to this
triumphant moment.
Pearl Jam’s debut hit single, "Alive," marked a time of
disillusionment when it first surfaced in 1991. The band performed
the song Monday night like it had won the fight both to maintain
its artistic integrity and to find a degree of personal
comfort.
And indeed, the band seemed most comfortable on stage,
unhindered by expectation and commercial corruption. During their
punk-esque "Spin the Black Circle," Vedder wrestled around on stage
with guitarist Mike McCready. At the beginning of the first encore,
Vedder joked around about this being "the last tour" and "retiring
on top." He even danced around during certain songs, cranking up
the crowd even more. This certainly didn’t reflect the uptight,
moody caricature painted of Vedder so many times before by the
media.
In fact, Vedder almost seemed at ease with being a "rock star,"
at least on stage. Despite his do-it-yourself, sometimes
self-righteous attitude, Vedder took on the role of the consummate
rock ‘n’ roll showman, without being arrogant or contrived about
it. It’s the anger of the lyrics, the drive of the songs and the
roar (or passion) of his voice that follows the rock tradition,
even if he’s unaware of or not admitting it. An earnest,
uncontrived confidence could be seen in such performances of "Even
Flow," "Not For You" and the breathtaking cover of The Who’s "Baba
O’Reily" during the second encore.
Among all the soaring, faster-paced songs came a few slower
tunes that channeled themes of angst into themes of inward-looking
and nostalgic contemplations. The first encore shone with glowing
versions of "Elderly Woman Behind a Counter in a Small Town,"
"Daughter" and "Betterman."
The latter encore stole the show with its raw emotion and
inclusion of lyrics from the English Beat’s classic, "Save It For
Later." A mirrored ball arose and added to the poignancy of the
current hit, "Wishlist," one of Vedder’s best efforts as a
songwriter. He even altered the lyrics to say, "I wish I was as
fortunate/ As fortunate as you," which expresses both the ache
Vedder expresses in some of his songs and the solace found in
releasing such nostalgic sentiment.
And not once did such passion get lost in the massive crowd.
This can be credited to the power of the band’s music filling a
space as huge as the Forum, but more importantly, it upholds Pearl
Jam’s tradition of intimacy between fan and performer. Rarely do
bands braving the 15,000-plus capacity venues manage to maintain an
intimacy which rivals that found in clubs and small amphitheaters.
Pearl Jam has proven that it can overcome the largeness of a crowd
by connecting with it in such a moving manner.
And after an almost two-hour set, which included over twenty
songs, Pearl Jam showed that music prevails in the end. Even if
mediocre sales, the Ticketmaster suit or a reluctance to tour
threaten to stain their image, it will never take away from their
live performance. As the older generations point to bands like the
Who, Queen and U2 as the quintessential live bands, Pearl Jam has
solidified their position as the torch bearer of that
tradition.
People want a celebration of music and emotion, something to
elevate the power of the art form and allow them to revel in their
escape. Pearl Jam not only gives fans what they want but does it
better than almost anyone else touring today.
Los Angeles punk veterans X, opened to a surprisingly ecstatic
crowd, even if they seemed unfamiliar with the foursome’s
catalogue. Even X’s lead singer, Exene Cervenka, had to say,
"Y’know, some of you look like you don’t even know who we are!" Yet
despite playing on the same stage as a band like Pearl Jam with
such a large crowd watching, X offered a solid, punk-laden set
marked by the band’s rolling, booming rhythms and guitarist John
Doe’s crankin’ riffs.
Photo courtesy of Sony Music
(Left to right) Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Matt
Cameron and Mike McCready make up the rock band Pearl Jam, which
had not played in Los Angeles since 1992.