As it commemorates its 20th anniversary with a tour that celebrates those decades of music, it's time to put Pearl Jam into perspective.
Granted, it is at least partially responsible for inspiring and spawning a parade of post-grunge and "modern-rock" acts like Creed and Nickelback. But in 2010, Pearl Jam is nothing more or less than a relentless, unpretentious and formidable rock band with a sound and presentation that are timeless and true.
On Monday night, Eddie Vedder and his band dropped into the Sprint Center for Pearl Jam's first show in Kansas City since June 2003. The long wait contributed to the vibe in the room: Those who weren't seeing the band for the first time ever were seeing it for the first time in a long while, and they all responded accordingly.
They were treated to a 28-song set list and to a show that lasted two and a half hours, minus a couple of brief breaks. In September, Pearl Jam released "Backspacer," its ninth studio album. They would play five of its songs Monday night; the rest of the setlist featured tracks from seven other albums -- all but "Riot Act." Old or recent, nearly every song received a big, warm welcome. On several, like "Even Flow," "Better Man," "Black" "Alive" and the rip-roaring "Given To Fly" the crowd let loose a cheer during the guitar intro, and then sang from the first lyric to the last. Even "Just Breathe," a ballad from "Backspacer," prompted a loud sing-along.
Vedder was in a playful mood most of the night. He introduced "Even Flow" as a song called "Mixed Metaphor," tossed tambourines into the crowd during the cover of "Rockin' In The Free World" and lugged around a bottle of wine for a while. He also retreated offstage a few times for a cigarette break.
After the short intermission, he came out in a Royals jersey -- No. 6 -- and then gave a shout-out to his good friend, Willie Wilson, who was present.
After he led the crowd in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for the band's tour manager, Mark Smith, he pushed the cake into Smith's face as he blew out the candles. He returned fire, and Vedder spent most of the rest of the show with clumps of cake in his beard. There were some more solemn moments.
Before "Off He Goes," Vedder asked the crowd to get involved in the death-penalty case of Damien Echols of the "West Memphis Three" case. And before "No More," he introduced Tomas Young, a Kansas City native and Iraqi war veteran who was the subject of the Phil Donahue documentary, "Body of War."
Otherwise, the rest of this night was about the music. The men behind Vedder stirred up a mighty storm several times, but particularly during the infernal ending to "Better Man," the heavy-metal eruption during "Alive" and the volcanic versions of "Do The Evolution" and "Rockin' In The Free World." For a band at the beginning of a tour after a long layoff, they sounded tight and furious all night.
The stage setting was spartan: No video screens, no light displays, no baubles or glitz. Just two backdrops, including a primitive "PJ" in a circle. The upper-deck in the back of the arena was curtained-off, the floor was full and the rest of the place looked like it was about 85 percent full -- at or near 10,000, I'd guess.
Things got a little unhinged at the end of the show. Before the final song, Vedder introduced another guest, Curtis Tomasevicz, a member of the gold-medal U.S. Olympic bobsledding team. (He liked to crank up the Pearl Jam before each race.)
Tomasevicz strapped on a bass guitar and joined the band on "Yellow Ledbetter," then stood back and listened as guitarist Mike McCready played a haywire rendition of the Jimi Hendrix version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
It got a little ragged and went on a bit too long and, of course, ended with the crowd yelling "Chiefs." Otherwise, this was a joyous, spontaneous and invigorating celebration between a rock band that seemed genuinely happy and grateful to be on the road again and fans who are just as happy that it is still around and its music is still alive.
Band of Horses: Their blend of rock and country went over well with a late-arriving crowd that was itching to see the headliner. The new songs, like "Northwest Apartment," fit right in with the older stuff, like "The Great Salt Lake," "The General Specific" and "No One's Gonna Love You."
Pearl Jam set list
Of The Girl; Animal; World Wide Suicide; Got Some; Unthought Known; Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town; MFC; Johnny Guitar; Amongst The Waves; Even Flow; God's Dice; Present Tense; Daughter; Wishlist; Insignificance; Do The Evolution. Break. Off He Goes; Just Breathe; Given To Fly; The Fixer; Life Wasted; Porch. Encore: No More; Black; Better Man; Alive; Rockin' In The Free World; Yellow Ledbetter; Star Spangled Banner.
Band of Horses set list
Marry Song; The Great Salt Lake; Ghost In My House; Northwest Apartment; General Specific; Compliments; No One's Gonna Love You; Ode To Lrc; Funeral.
| Timothy Finn, The Star
