To start, a disclaimer: I have been listening to Pearl Jam since I was 12 (I am 28 now). So it probably goes without saying that their music has been a large part of my life, and has gotten me through a lot of tough times. If someone had told me back then that in 2008 I would be watching Eddie Vedder perform an acoustic version of “Porch” in a 2000 seat theatre in Vancouver, I would have told them they were crazy.
The soundtrack to Into The Wild is one of my favorite albums from last year. When Eddie Vedder announced that he would be doing a short solo tour on the West Coast, I knew I had to go. So it was with excitement and nervous anticipation that I took the train from Seattle to Vancouver on April 2nd. I’ve seen Pearl Jam live many times, but I knew that Eddie Vedder solo would be an entirely different experience, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.
Seeing the first show of a tour is kind of risky, I guess. A lot of the songs are unpolished. The stage setup is new, especially since Ed has never toured solo before. In all the Pearl Jam shows I’ve seen, I've never thought that he looked as nervous onstage as he did in Vancouver. No, I guess "nervous" isn't the right word, maybe he was just a little bit unsure of what to expect from the audience and from himself. But he didn't need to be. Right after the concert, I wrote in my journal that “this was one of those rare concerts when, without even realizing it, i was completely in the moment for over 2 hours.” I was leaning forward in my seat, singing along, clapping so hard that my hands hurt. I didn't even pay attention to the people around me.
Article comments
1 - custard pie
are you sure you didn't mean British Columbia?
2 - megan
yeah, that's obviously a mistake. oops
3 - Douglas Mays
You know, Eddie should have used a box of hi-test Molson's instead of Corona for the Van B.C. audience.
4 - Jordan Richardson
Being a Vancouverite, I have to disagree with Douglas. He should have used a Granville Island Mingler.