Pearl Jam

To claim that visiting museums was the highlight of last week would be a blatant lie. Monday was the day that Pearl Jam performed for the first time in six years in Austria.

I never sweat that much. Never.

Pearl Jam was and is a great ‘live band’. Their amount of energy they’re releasing while in concert is unbelievable especially when considering the complete lack of decorations or pyrotechnics.

My fears that Eddie might have lost his flame were extinguished the moment he entered the stage. It sounds silly, but I felt taken back in time: black tshirt, corduroys, long hair and the combination of aggressive while pained facial expression when singing.. that was Eddie as i learned to know him from live recordings made ten years ago. He looked older back then.

The band searched contact with the audience. We responded. A Lot. This might have been the best concert I’ve ever attended.

The set list was made of the stuff people should dream of: Black, Spin The Black Circle, Alive, Jeremy, Even Flow, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter Of A Small Town, Do The Evolution.. There must had been 30 to 40 tracks. It only hurts that Betterman, Keep On Rocking in the Free World and everything from the Riot Act record was let out. This deficit was mended by Pearl Jam’s interpretation of Little Wing from Jimmy Hendrix. Never heart that they’ve done that before.

Throughout the concert you could have thought that the performers where talking especially to you, were joking and celebrating something great. And that it was. A great band was touring, but their members still seemed normal (in stark contrast to U2). They stole themselves from the stage to take a smoke, where always near the crowd (even in the crowd) and just had a lot of fun or were great at pretend that.

I also came to recognize that the band’s latest self-titled album is better than I thought. It comes with the sound intensity. Especially ‘Life Wasted’ and ‘World Wide Suicide’ are great tracks.

The two days after the concert felt like being on drugs.

The audience was also one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of joining in. Even as I was standing close to the stage there wasn’t as much pushing and shoving as would be expected, at least not of the bad kind.

PJ is more than just a band. They feel a kind of serenity while listening to their music. They can be trusted to deliver good music while staying firm with a message you can believe in. They never sold out. They do spent money on humanitarian campaigns, but don’t use it for promotional causes like others. They feel `real`. It may be no surprise that there’s only one of the “big four”‘s remaining.

Maybe Pearl Jam is my methadone for real.

Thank you.

It’s a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over
It’s the same everyday in a hell manmade
What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?
The whole world…World over.
It’s a worldwide suicide.

Pearl Jam – World Wide Suicide

I will hold the candle till it burns up my arm
Oh, Ill keep takin punches until their will grows tired
Oh, I will stare the sun down until my eyes go blind hey,
I wont change direction, and I wont change my mind
How much difference does it make
Mmm, how much difference does it make…how much difference…

Pearl Jam (and Ben Harper) – Indifference

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