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troutman · 12-03-2013, 09:53 AM

Review: Pearl Jam unleash fiery set at Saddledome

http://www.calgaryherald.com/enterta...051/story.html

Whether it was that rather large magnum of red wine he was consuming, or simply that he is now a 48-year-old father-of-two, the one-time dour anti-rock star of Seattle’s Pearl Jam was good-natured, gracious, funny, warm and even playful when leading his veteran grunge outfit through an energetic and generous three-hour set.

Pearl Jam, arguably the most stadium-friendly of the 1990s grunge purveyors, unleashed a pitch-perfect show as a blizzard raged outside, paying tribute to their impressive back catalogue without forgoing their freshly released and underrated new album, Lightning Bolt. It’s a testament to the act’s prowess on stage — and its large quantity of durable songs — that they rarely seem to repeat a setlist, keeping their fans (and us hapless journalists struggling to identify tunes) on their toes. It all gave the evening a sense of spontaneity, a rarity for stadium acts.

While Vedder hasn’t abandoned his expressive singing, he has certainly embraced his band’s inherent crowd-pleasing, classic-rock vibe in ways he never did as a brooding young artist. He paid earnest tribute to everyone from Calgary snowplow drivers, to Lou Reed (before a wonderful, solo cover of The Velvet Underground’s After Hours), to flood recovery efforts at the Dome. But he also swung over the crowd on a lighting unit like Errol Flynn and showcased some Pete Townshend windmill moves, suggesting this one-time purveyor of angst and sorrow doesn’t take himself quite as seriously as he once did. He also pointed out that the evening’s opening act — old friend’s Mudhoney — had braved a 13-hour drive to play a 45-minute set for Pearl Jam’s fans.

Eddie is one of the best front-men - such a warm voice. I have never seen a Dome crowd so engaged. Maybe when I saw Springsteen do Badlands. Maybe. Kind of strange to see people party-dancing to sad songs like Daughter and Better Man, but those songs were performed with a lot of energy.

Strange too to see Eddie make light of how much wine he was drinking, in a band that was earlier plagued with substance abuse. He was stumbling and slurring his words towards the end of the show. If he is drinking that much "four or five nights a week", that can't be good for his health. Such is the life of a rock star.

12-03-2013, 09:53 AM	#71
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	Review: Pearl Jam unleash fiery set at Saddledome http://www.calgaryherald.com/enterta...051/story.html Whether it was that rather large magnum of red wine he was consuming, or simply that he is now a 48-year-old father-of-two, the one-time dour anti-rock star of Seattle’s Pearl Jam was good-natured, gracious, funny, warm and even playful when leading his veteran grunge outfit through an energetic and generous three-hour set. Pearl Jam, arguably the most stadium-friendly of the 1990s grunge purveyors, unleashed a pitch-perfect show as a blizzard raged outside, paying tribute to their impressive back catalogue without forgoing their freshly released and underrated new album, Lightning Bolt. It’s a testament to the act’s prowess on stage — and its large quantity of durable songs — that they rarely seem to repeat a setlist, keeping their fans (and us hapless journalists struggling to identify tunes) on their toes. It all gave the evening a sense of spontaneity, a rarity for stadium acts. While Vedder hasn’t abandoned his expressive singing, he has certainly embraced his band’s inherent crowd-pleasing, classic-rock vibe in ways he never did as a brooding young artist. He paid earnest tribute to everyone from Calgary snowplow drivers, to Lou Reed (before a wonderful, solo cover of The Velvet Underground’s After Hours), to flood recovery efforts at the Dome. But he also swung over the crowd on a lighting unit like Errol Flynn and showcased some Pete Townshend windmill moves, suggesting this one-time purveyor of angst and sorrow doesn’t take himself quite as seriously as he once did. He also pointed out that the evening’s opening act — old friend’s Mudhoney — had braved a 13-hour drive to play a 45-minute set for Pearl Jam’s fans. Eddie is one of the best front-men - such a warm voice. I have never seen a Dome crowd so engaged. Maybe when I saw Springsteen do Badlands. Maybe. Kind of strange to see people party-dancing to sad songs like Daughter and Better Man, but those songs were performed with a lot of energy. Strange too to see Eddie make light of how much wine he was drinking, in a band that was earlier plagued with substance abuse. He was stumbling and slurring his words towards the end of the show. If he is drinking that much "four or five nights a week", that can't be good for his health. Such is the life of a rock star.