That Was An Old Song This Is A New Song, It's Evolution Baby

There is no one quite so capable of bringing a crowd of 20,000+ to its feet for a couple hours of a couple nights in the same city during the same tour, of prompting singalongs and mass hysteria, and then, only minutes later --and to the chagrin of a noteworthy though outnumbered contingency within that same crowd-- unleash an earnest political tirade.  No one combines the lilting emotion of the blues with the power and synergy of punk as effortlessly as Mike McCready.  What other rock band boasts a drummer whose "tastefulness is equaled by his sheer muscularity"?  And who, besides Jeff Ament, sports a Seattle Supersonics' Ray Allen jersey in front of a crowd simmering in the wake of a championship run?  No one could hold a band of this magnitude together with the grace and humility of Stone Gossard.  

At one point last week, having kept to a steady diet of Pearl Jam bootlegs, I wondered if I'd already seen them at their best.  I mean, how long could they keep doling out best shows ever? After concerts from tours past, having hurled a lion's share of hyperbole through the phone and into my father's ear, was I on the verge of a major disappointment?

           

Nope.  It's not in their DNA.  

June 28:

Throw Your Arms Around Me, Hard To Imagine, Why Go, Hail Hail, Comatose, Low Light, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Corduroy, Faithfull, Off He Goes, Given To Fly, Down, I'm Open, I Got Shit, Even Flow, Do The Evolution, Once, Rearviewmirror
Encore 1 Love Reign O'er Me, Come Back, Insignificance, Black, Better Man(Save it for Later)
Encore 2 No More, State Of Love And Trust, Alive  

Having tempted fate in booking a limo service to Saturday's show despite the driver's having told the us he was working a wedding prior to picking us up, we scattered in pairs just before the limo screeched to a hault in an empty parking lot.  Pete and I sprinted between parked cars and into the venue, finding a temporary home in the aisle next to some pretty good seats that weren't ours just in time to hear the back half of "Given to Fly".  I actually didn't realize how much we had missed until I checked the set-list the following morning.  As Eddie Vedder credited Howard Zinn as the inspiration for "Down" before dropping into it headlong, I begun to get my bearings, smiling and looking to Pete, a first timer, to see if a visceral reaction was worn on his face (it was).  By the time they burst into "I Got Shit", I was actually laughing to myself for ever having doubted.  

As Pete fervently applauded a rant from Mr. Vedder, I noticed we were standing next to a slew of marines.  Tattoo exposed by cut-off sleeves, the one seated beside me stood at attention, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the man with the microphone, as he complained about the Marine recruiting booth that was set up in the parking lot.  Though I agreed with every word, I reached for Pete's arm, whispering and motioning to him that we were dangerously close to a pack of irrationally drunk marines.  He dismissed me and clapped even louder.  (It is worth noting that, prior to the show Monday night, the band forced the venue to take the recruiting booth down.) 

Engorged with bootlegs from the week leading up, I would be proven jaded once more.  When the house lights went on and the opening notes of "Alive" soared through the air, I initially lamented.  There are certain songs that appear in Pearl Jam setlists more often than I'd like.  They're great songs, but, like anything, after a while they can become stale when they're not covered and put away for a while.  Not on this night.  "Alive" completely blew me away.      

 

June 30:  

Wash, Last Exit, Save You, Severed Hand, Animal, MFC, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, 1/2 Full, Corduroy, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Education, Satan's Bed, Whipping, Glorified G, Do The Evolution
Encore 1 Bee Girl, Who You Are, Better Man(Save it for Later), Garden, Why Go
Encore 2 No More, Once, Footsteps, Alive, Rockin' In The Free World

We didn't make the same mistake on Monday, the last show of the American tour.  Firmly entrenched in my Ten Club seat 15 minutes before PJ took to the stage--no small thanks to Josh Dwire-- I am glad to be able to say I didn't miss a note.  

"Bee Girl", easily one of the most forgettable songs on Lost Dogs, was a actually a pleasant surprise.  I'm not sure if he quit smoking or something, but one of the themes that permeated both shows was not just the triumphant return of his baritone at full capacity, but its new heights.  While the entire show was a aural orgy, a decidedly dissonant and electric "Who You Are" was the climax.  Not to be overlooked, however, was "Once", "Footsteps", and "Alive", which they played together in sequence.  These three ditties, music written by Stone Gossard before the band had a lead singer, combine to tell a story.  But they almost never play all three, much less adjacent and in order.   

I'll never doubt them again.