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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.

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