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Live Review: Pearl Jam in Toronto - Toronto Sun
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Live Review: Pearl Jam in Toronto
By SHERRI WOOD - Toronto Sun
TORONTO - If you were at Pearl Jam's 2006 world tour kick-off show last night at the Air Canada Centre, consider yourself lucky.
Not only was it possibly one of the band's final Toronto performances (they play a second show tonight but have said this may be their last tour), but it may very well go down in history as one of the greatest live performances to ever hit this city.
Even though there are no other Canadian dates on the tour, it was clear the group has a particular fondness for Canada.
"This is the first night of our tour," said vocalist/guitarist Eddie Vedder. "It seems like this side of the border is a safe place to start."
The Seattle quintet -- rounded out by guitarist Stone Gossard, drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist Mike McCready and bassist Jeff Ament -- are touring in support of their eighth studio album, released last week and simply called Pearl Jam.
They've said they rehearsed more for this tour than any other. And it showed.
Awash in multicoloured lights and smoke, the band flawlessly delivered an audible lesson of their 15-year history.
Songs from their epic 1991 debut, Ten, including Even Flow and Garden, were, not surprisingly, the best received.
Even the new songs, including their latest single, World Wide Suicide, were performed with an energy that was fierce and raw and so deeply reminiscent of the early '90s Pearl Jam that we all fell in love with in the first place.
Shaggy and unassuming in their signature jeans-and-T-shirt uniforms, the band had no trouble at all getting the crowd -- a traditional lighter-in-the-air (and not cellphones) rock fan set -- to sing along.
The highlight of the night came during a tradition for Toronto Pearl Jam dates -- the awe-inspiring, chill-inducing Better Man sing-a-long, with the sold-out crowd's Daughter accompaniment coming a close second.
And of course, Pearl Jam have never been ones to disappoint during the encores.
Last night's included crowd favourites Do The Evolution, Jeremy and Alive as well as a ballad from the new album, Come Back.
It's a remarkable ability, they have, to make their encore sets feel special, impromptu and genuine -- not at all like the standard contrived and obligatory encore offerings concert-goers have become so accustomed to.
Swigging from his trademark bottle of wine, Vedder, always the everyman, took the opportunity to further befriend the crowd.
"So, where are you guys going after this?" he asked. "'Cause I feel like having a drink."
In standard Pearl Jam style, they capped the show with a request for the house lights to go on, a rugged cover of Neil Young's Rockin' In The Free World and an energetic Yellow Ledbetter.
If the impeccable musicianship, hypnotizing stage performance and utterly engaging audience interaction for this show didn't move you enough, the notoriously philanthropic band gave us even more to feel good about.
They've decided to donate one dollar from every ticket sold to a local charity in each city they play -- and that money will come directly out of their own pockets for the Toronto dates. Last night's show will benefit the White Ribbon Campaign, a renowned anti-violence-against-women group. Tonight, the guys will dish out for Sketch -- a non-profit initiative that engages homeless youth in the arts.
And if you can still get a ticket tonight, I highly recommend you do.
You can thank me later.
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/05/10/1572254.html
By SHERRI WOOD - Toronto Sun
TORONTO - If you were at Pearl Jam's 2006 world tour kick-off show last night at the Air Canada Centre, consider yourself lucky.
Not only was it possibly one of the band's final Toronto performances (they play a second show tonight but have said this may be their last tour), but it may very well go down in history as one of the greatest live performances to ever hit this city.
Even though there are no other Canadian dates on the tour, it was clear the group has a particular fondness for Canada.
"This is the first night of our tour," said vocalist/guitarist Eddie Vedder. "It seems like this side of the border is a safe place to start."
The Seattle quintet -- rounded out by guitarist Stone Gossard, drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist Mike McCready and bassist Jeff Ament -- are touring in support of their eighth studio album, released last week and simply called Pearl Jam.
They've said they rehearsed more for this tour than any other. And it showed.
Awash in multicoloured lights and smoke, the band flawlessly delivered an audible lesson of their 15-year history.
Songs from their epic 1991 debut, Ten, including Even Flow and Garden, were, not surprisingly, the best received.
Even the new songs, including their latest single, World Wide Suicide, were performed with an energy that was fierce and raw and so deeply reminiscent of the early '90s Pearl Jam that we all fell in love with in the first place.
Shaggy and unassuming in their signature jeans-and-T-shirt uniforms, the band had no trouble at all getting the crowd -- a traditional lighter-in-the-air (and not cellphones) rock fan set -- to sing along.
The highlight of the night came during a tradition for Toronto Pearl Jam dates -- the awe-inspiring, chill-inducing Better Man sing-a-long, with the sold-out crowd's Daughter accompaniment coming a close second.
And of course, Pearl Jam have never been ones to disappoint during the encores.
Last night's included crowd favourites Do The Evolution, Jeremy and Alive as well as a ballad from the new album, Come Back.
It's a remarkable ability, they have, to make their encore sets feel special, impromptu and genuine -- not at all like the standard contrived and obligatory encore offerings concert-goers have become so accustomed to.
Swigging from his trademark bottle of wine, Vedder, always the everyman, took the opportunity to further befriend the crowd.
"So, where are you guys going after this?" he asked. "'Cause I feel like having a drink."
In standard Pearl Jam style, they capped the show with a request for the house lights to go on, a rugged cover of Neil Young's Rockin' In The Free World and an energetic Yellow Ledbetter.
If the impeccable musicianship, hypnotizing stage performance and utterly engaging audience interaction for this show didn't move you enough, the notoriously philanthropic band gave us even more to feel good about.
They've decided to donate one dollar from every ticket sold to a local charity in each city they play -- and that money will come directly out of their own pockets for the Toronto dates. Last night's show will benefit the White Ribbon Campaign, a renowned anti-violence-against-women group. Tonight, the guys will dish out for Sketch -- a non-profit initiative that engages homeless youth in the arts.
And if you can still get a ticket tonight, I highly recommend you do.
You can thank me later.
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/05/10/1572254.html
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Comments
Thanks for the read!
Where did she get this? I haven't seen anything (other than fan speculation) about this possibly being the last tour. Otherwise, I'd be making crazy travelling plans right now because I am under the impression that the boys have no intentions of retiring anytime soon.
She interviewed Jeff for Tuesday's paper and he said:
"It's harder to tour now, for sure," said bassist Jeff Ament, yesterday, in town rehearsing for the shows.
"Not only are you away from home, but physically it's hard -- I'm 43 years old and I have to work out every morning, do yoga, get massages and all that, just to be able to play the show every night. Everyone was super excited about this record, including me, so that's why we're going out for 80-plus shows. But this could be our last show here for a while."
He said in the same article that they aren't going south this tour either - but I think calling it their last tour is jumping to conclusions...
http://www.torontosun.com/Entertainment/Music/2006/05/09/1571035-sun.html
"They have been selective about where they will play on this tour. Ament says they're not playing 'places they should be,' such as Texas, Florida, and parts of Northern Europe."
By "places they should be", I'm taking it that Jeff means locations you should traditionally play but the band simply doesn't want to right now. You could take it other ways too.
This is the 1st show of a World Tour that is arriving on the heels of a pretty amazing truncated NA/SA tour in its own right. So, let's see what Jeff thinks in November after the wear and tear, but I'd say right now he sounds like he'd vote against more touring in '07. And with the high energy shows these guys seem intent on playing this tour combined with their respective ages, I wouldn't blame him. It was also interesting seeing a member of Pearl Jam actually commenting on the current ticket price.
There's "only" about 60 shows scheduled, so there will be maybe 20 more?
But, hey, sounds like a great Toronto show -- smoke and everything. Great set list - new album plus some great oldies.
Swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike
Drilling for fear, makes the job simple
Born on third, thinks he got a triple . . .
- EV
Personally,I don't think it is. I read somewhere that they had enough
songs penned to fill 2 or 3 more albums and if last night's performance
is an indication then they are just having to much fucking fun to stop.
the energy was so electric,so giving,so mutual that it makes you
all warm and tingly inside knowing you are witnessing,arguably,one of
the best live bands to ever take a stage,anywhere,anytime.
they are all about the people filling the seats in front,behind and to the
sides of them,wherever they go,wherever they are. They don't forget
what city they are in(well maybe Ed does on occasion -
this because they care,they love and they know who is listening
because they have been on the other side and they know what the
fans want.
they deliver as they have always delivered,night after night,show after
show,tour after tour.
They have grown up as many of us who have been blessed with their
music have over the past 15 or so years and I hope to be able to
grow old with them as well.
Thank you boys,errrr,I mean men. you always make me feel as though
you are paying attention.
Rock on and forever.
right on man
I agree, especially since the Entertainment Weekly article quoted manager Kelly Curtis saying Pearl Jam & Co "studied the Greatful Dead module" to basically form the "next Greatful Dead" (Greatful Dead in the terms of their fanbase anyway...), and if that is the case, we all know that Jerry Garcia toured until his death, which was nearly 30 years worth of touring. I think that they have put too much time and effort into the progression of the band for them to give up at age 40+. Especially from what I am reading from Toronto night 1, it’s like a new beginning for them, and they might just be the next greatful dead.
http://www.myspace.com/pearljamily
but.....we were wrong. just the vibe.
mooncalf agreed" THe BANd
i hear they're going to add 18 shows in the northeast - with about 10 of them in Boston and then
not sure about the remaining 2
i was at the Toronto show last night, what an amazing experience. Fantastic set list, the crowd was rocking and the energy the boys had was electric.
it was my first pearl jam show ever but i am so impressed by what i saw that i know it will not be my last.
Thank You PJ for putting on a wonderful performance!