I am the world's oldest member of Pearl Jams fan club. I pay $20 a year for the right to buy tickets if they ever come within 500 miles of me. Oh yeah you can get discounts on merch and you get a new song download (whatever that is) every year but I dont care. I just want the right to buy overpriced tickets and get a decent seat. I've been in row 13, I've been in the pit getting jostled by people one third my age , I've been in Wrigley in a seat that would have been great for a ball game and on Saturday I was on the field 17 rows back but still behind the massive amount of pit people. Thank goodness for big screens.
Max and I road tripped to Chicago for our second PJ concert at Wrigley this past weekend. Now Im old, overweight, claustrophobic and have a bad leg so what could be better than fighting crowds on L trains, standing in lines, walking a lot, sitting on a cement cover for the field (we would have been where the shortstops stand) and sweating my ass off while crammed into plastic chairs zip tied together? What happened? Here we go.
Slightly before 8pm (half hour late PJ is notoriously late) the band enters the gigantic stage in center field much to the delight of 40,000
Wash---never heard this one before live. Wash is from 10, and is on the backside (Im old I said!). I remember it. Not my fave, but a good sign this may be different.
Low Light--A new one for me. From Yield, this rocker sends Jerry Garcia into the stratosphere. His head is shaking, his hair is flying and he;s kicking his chair backwards into me. Max is rocking, the 8 year old kid is rocking.I'm getting annoyed already.
Elderly Woman-- ok ok its a staple. It must be done. Its a good tune. Its from Vs. Its old school whether you like it or not.
Breakerfall--from Binaural its now 3 of 4 Ive never heard them do live before. This could be something special. The kid is still standing there, Jerry is still shaking his head free of whatever lives in there and sourpuss next to Max shook her head a bit.
Eddie finally speaks. The worship of the Cubs. The hallowed ground of the dump that is Wrigley. Onward.
Corduroy -- The rocker from Vitalogy. Another staple that must be done. Its a great song, a cool dong and if you listen closely, everybody's life at some point. Everybody is shaking their heads, including me. Ive forgotten about my aches and pains.
Hail Hail--from No Code. Ive heard it a couple of times live. Its not a must. Its a great song too and not a lot of fans are into it. The steam is starting too leave Wrigley. Even Jerry has slowed down. The first whiff of weed hits me from behind.
Animal-- Oh my God. Its 1994 again. The young Eddie Vedder destroys the now unwatchable MTV Awards with this song. From Vs. This is a classic. I've never heard it live. I'm young again. Make fun of me, Jerry. I'm moving like I have a ferret in my pants.
Getaway-- from Lightning Bolt. After Animal I wanna get back into this. Max is rocking, Jerry is flipping his hair around and banging his chair backwards into me. Way to kill my buzz Jerry.
Leaving Here-- Ed grabs a guitar. Contrary to popular worship, when a lead singer, a front man, a Jagger, a Daltrey, a Vedder grabs an instrument its not a good sign. The song sounds like what he learned to play his first guitar on. It's fine. Drop the guitar Ed.
Present Tense-- from No Code and Ed leaves his guitar on. He doesn't play it much cuz the song is slow but it remains one of my faves. This is really some obscure shit. I love it. Jerry has lost a bot of interest. Max knows the words of everything. I'm impressed.
Even Flow-- oh the classic. The song everybody saw the video for back in 1992 and watched a young kid with a deep voice swinging from the rafters and saying what in the fuck is THIS?? As much as I want to say I'm sick of Even Flow, I cannot. Mike McCready absolutely shreds during this rocker. The place is going nuts.
Missing--Ed speaks of Chris Cornell, the late Soundgarden shrieker. I'm not that big of a fan but I certainly didnt want him depressed and suicidal. He then does this song, a Cornell solo effort. I guess. Nobody knew what the hell was going on. I never have seen so many people asking what this song was. Hey it was pretty good.
Garden--from 10. I love Garden. It reminds me of the genius of music. 10 was such a revelation after years and years of shit from bands full of high school dropouts and drug addled morons. Garden slows you down. Its almost psychedelic.It makes me wish I got high again.
Not For You-- The Vitalogy classic. I stood in line at midnight to get this CD (yeah Im a geek) This is a song of theirs I think is vastly underrated. From its slow start to its shrieking end. If you hate something, don't you do it, too. I'm screaming by the end of this one. Jerry is back into it. More marijuana smell. Max says, well at least this is the good stuff. How the hell do you know?
Can't Deny Me--its a fan club exclusive. Eddie begins beating a cow bell. Its a 4 minute Fuck You to Donald Trump. Nobody knows it. But if you listen you know.
Wishlist--from Yield. One of the few songs ever written with the word "neutron bomb" in it. Its getting deeper here. Jerry falls into me backwards. Sourpuss next to Max is moving her head a bit.
At this point Eddie sees a sign held up by a "guy with his hat on backwards". Its says "Play BR/Y you Evanston pussy. What the fuck? Ed asks is that anyway to ask for a favor? He then tells the guy "fuck you you fucking fuckwad". I hope thats this years Ten Club download.
I Wont Back Down--Ed begins to speak of Tom Petty. Jesus, how many rockers are gone in just the last year? He asks the crowd to lift their phones to the sky to say Hi. I do it. I feel dumb but the sight of all those phones is kind of cool. Thanks Tom.
Porch--What the fuck is this world? The whoah part is loud as hell. I'm whoahing with everyone. Man, this is like 1992 PJ. I am loving it. Who isn't?
The band then leaves the stage. Everyone sits down. Tghey dont scream for an encore cuz its not necessary. The guys will be back, They are all over 50. They need a break. So do I.
Back out after a 10 minute break or so. Eddie sits on a stool and mentions a woman named Laura, a well respected LGBTQ activist in Chicago. Yep, Im sure he means the good Ricketts kid. Not that killer Pete Ricketts or that Ted Cruz clone Tom Ricketts. Laura Ricketts who has been married for a while now. For all of you in a good relationship.
Just Breathe--the song from Backspacer that grabbed me and has never let go. Its a beautiful song. Its just Eddie with a guitar and Boom Gaspard on the keys. Its subtle and its breathtaking.
Sleeping By Myself-- its a ukulele song. He sings it and then truly weirdest thing of the night happens. Dennis Rodman wanders out, announces Chicago had his back during that North Korea shit and that when he dies he will be buried in Chicago. Eddie, taken aback a bit tells him to delay that as long ax he can. Vedder with the rebound!
Footsteps -- ok my night is made. The song I told Max I hoped I would hear. Its old, its on no album. I bought it as a single EP. The pain is real. The emotion is real. The fact they never play it makes it even more special. Max pats me on the back. The old mans dream came true.
State of Love and Trust--Oh so cool. From the Singles soundtrack. Holy shit this IS like seeing them at the Ranch Bowl back in 91. Jerry rocks out, Max rocks out, the over 50's really rock out.
Breath--from the Singles soundtrack. Breath is a song that gets played very seldom, Ed climbs off the stage and converses with a youngster in the front row with his Dad. The Dad was much more enthralled than the kid. Max announces well that made my night.
Know Your Rights--it gets political here. No not really. Because he needs Ricketts to bring out the World Series Trophy Ed cant offend him. So he simply says you know what to do on Election Day.Then its into the Clash classic, Know Your Rights. You have the right to free speech, unless you're dumb enough to actually try it.
Do The Evolution--Its my favorite Pearl Jam song. It just is I dont know why. I am the first mammal to wear pants. I'm at peace with my lust. I can kill cuz in God I Trust. Its their Sympathy for the Devil. Of course I am nuts. Jerry falls forward into the people in front of him.
Alone--The old school theme continues. My feet hurt. Must maintain energy. Jerry is done. Sour Puss is sitting. Max sits. I have permission. I sit.
RearViewMirror-From Vs. I am back up. Max is back up. Jerry has still had it. Saw things more clearly once you were in my Rear view mirror. Yeah. That.
They are done once again. They leave the stage to the cheers of 40,000 people and the freeloaders on the roofs. But we know they will be back. Curfew at 11. Its only 10:25.
They rush back out after a 5 minute break.
A short speech about how great the fucking Cubs are, blah blah and then
Rebel Rebel-yep that Rebel Rebel. The David Bowie cover. Never done before. They do a credible job.
Betterman--ok ok....I AM sick of this song. I dont like the crowd singing the fucking thing. I dont like the cliche' like lyrics. It just doesn't tickle my fancy. Never has. But its a staple. Later as Max and I sat on a bench we see a group of 3 walk by and the one guy exclaims "I am sick of Betterman, they play it every fucking show". Yeah what he said.
Alive-this is the one Max says he could do without. But how can you not do it? Its supposed to be played back to back with Footsteps but they never do that, per Max the local PJ expert. Alive is what it is. It means different things to different people, but its about surviving sexual abuse. I cant relate so it means something different to me. Thats music folks.
Theres still 20 minutes to go. Leash maybe?
Nah!
Rockin in the Free World--Neil Young may have written this but since Neil doesnt do it any longer, its Pearl Jams song now. It is just such a rouser how can you not hop around like a maniac?
Yellow Ledbetter--this indecipherable song closes a lot of shows but its only 10:50. People are singing and it makes Max wonder aloud "how can anybody sing this, there are no words". He's kind of right. There are no words, just a lot of moaning and whoahing. Its a solid tune, its just lyrically nonsense.
And then they all appear at the front of the stage arms entwined and do a half assed bow. Its like they want to go on, but have been ordered to stop by someone. Ricketts! That fucker! I know its him. They leave and everybody is perplexed. It was just weird.
Later I see that Leash WAS on the playlist, as was Indifference, but they ran out of time. Maybe next time lay off the Cubs shit. Fat chance.
As we leave, we go under the hallowed outfield ivy. Most people reach up to touch it in some sort of ritual. I touch it also but in a curse way. Everything I touch turns to shit, may as well be the Cubs. One guy touches it and yells "White Sox". And off we go into the night.
Is Pearl Jam worth driving 8 hours for, spending untold amounts of money on tickets, staying in expensive hotels, riding the packed L Train, being squeezed by crowds of weirdo cult members, standing for 3 hours, putting up with tripping Jerry Garcias and SourPuss women, and trying to get home?
Its a trip with my son. Of course it is!
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