Eddie Vedder’s very brief solo tour through California found him stopping in Los Angeles at The Wiltern for a two-night stand. He very easily could have played it safe that first night, appearing as Eddie the Rock Star offering up a collection of Pearl Jam hits, the ones shouted out by the unimaginative nostalgia seekers in attendance thinking they were going to relive their youth from the ‘90s, but Eddie is no longer that twenty-something Gen X-er. Instead he chose to stretch as an artist and revealed another aspect of himself, which made the evening all the more compelling.
With no band to support him, he sat center stage all alone, alternating instruments between acoustic and electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and even banjo. The set was comprised of songs from soundtracks, covers, and Pearl Jam rarities (only one song from the band’s first three and most successful albums made the cut) in what he likely considered a musical experiment as his guitar tech wore a white lab coat. In fact, he seemed almost cautious to not get people’s hopes up, and in the middle of his first song, a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Walking the Cow,” he stopped the proceeding and asked people to sit down and relax since we were in a theater. That’s why he wore the sports coat, he explained.
He sounded in fine form both singing and playing. Being surrounded by two talented guitar players like Mike McCready and Stone Gossard doesn’t leave much room for Vedder’s own playing, but he delivered a dynamic performance covering Bob Dylan’s “Master of War.” The strength of the material appears to have an impact on him because he also tore it up on acoustic guitar during his version of James Taylor’s “Millworker.”
During the first half of set, Vedder played a five-song block from his Golden Globe-winning Into The Wild soundtrack. At one point, the guitar tech set up an extra microphone, and in what appeared to be a surprise and the cause for sleight embarrassment, a gentleman presented the award to him since he never accepted due to the ceremony being cancelled.
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
Sounds like a great show, El B. Sadly you are too right about the behavior of fans at too many of these shows- particularly solo acoustic shows. As much as I love a good singer/songwriter showcase like this I'm not sure I could have kept from being distracted by the moron contingency. I know I would have just seethed all night and missed out on the great music.
2 - El Bicho
Josh, it was a very good time in spite the attendance of some. I blame home video, poor parenting, and general stupidity. You would have loved the young girls talking, texting, and taking photos of themselves throughout Bruce's show. It's a good thing I stopped drinking malt liquor or it could have gotten ugly on my part.
3 - Josh Hathaway
If any of that goes on at my Bruce show next Friday, I'm fucking having somebody. There will be stunned silence when he plays "Across The Border." All will stand at attention until the song is finished, at which point they may tear there clothes and weep uncontrollably.
I blame home video, poor parenting, and general stupidity.
Classic.
4 - Jordan Richardson
When I saw Pearl Jam in Vancouver, the crowd was unbelievably bad. Two teenage girls were dancing wildly the whole time in front of us as though they were at a Jay-Z show. Then there was the 40-year-old guy that kept trying to pick them up by buying them beer and giving them tokes from his joint. Ugh. Ruined a pretty wicked show for me, I have to say.
5 - Mat Brewster
Very cool ElB. Sounds like a great show with some cool choices.
Why anyone pays good money to not pay any attention to the performers is beyond me. If you talk loudly for more than 30 seconds you should get booted.
6 - El Bicho
Jordan, having not attended a Jay Z, I can't picture what you are talking about. I don't have a problem with people dancing if the music moves them. If the band is standing the whole time, it's the least that I could do. If I wanted to sit down and listen to a band, I have a CD player at home.
Mat, I don't get it either. When I saw The White Stripes a couple of years back there was this foursome gabbing away the whole time until people told them to stop. Apparently they didn't like The Stripes as much as they liked telling people they were at the show. Frakin' Posers!
7 - megan
i just don't get why you would pay money to go to a concert (or a movie) and then proceed to talk the entire time. stay home and talk - not only will you not bother me, but it's free.
8 - Donald Gibson
I traveled last year to Atlanta to see Stevie Wonder and, for much of the performance, this group of teenagers (who frankly didn't seem to even know who Stevie Wonder was) kept talking and laughing like they were at home. At one point, one of them leaned over and asked me, "So do you think this will be over anytime soon?"
Apparently he had somewhere else to go that night, but I sure as hell didn't.
9 - El Bicho
During a screening of "Kill Bill Vol. 2," one guy sitting to our right took a call. After a few moments, I said "c'mon, are you kidding me" and he finally got up and finished the call in the hallway. In the climatic scene where Bill was just about to be killed, the guy on my left answered his phone to say "I will call you back in ten minutes," which I believe is the main function of voicemail, to allow a person to leave a message so you can call them back. People suck!
10 - Jordan Richardson
"Jordan, having not attended a Jay Z, I can't picture what you are talking about."
In short, they were hip hop dancing at a Pearl Jam concert. It's a weird visual to see someone dancing that way to Yellow Ledbetter.