Wow...words can't explain how beautiful last night was. Eddie's voice was as perfect as I have ever heard it, and despite a few flubs here and there, he really showed off his chops as a guitarist. Perhaps the most amazing version of "Porch" I have ever heard, along with a sped-up version of "Lukin" (if that's possible ), an intense "Masters of War," a spirited, crowd-pleasing version of "Hard Sun," and absolutely beautiful renditions of "Broken Heart," "Trouble," "I Won't Back Down," and "Throw Your Arms Around Me" were among the highlights.
The most-stunning-song-of-the-evening award, however, has to go to "Arc." I was absolutely floored by what Eddie managed to do with the song live. The intensity of his voice as he hit the high part of the chant was breathtaking. And I believe that everyone in the crowd felt that this was something special -- even those who aren't familiar with the significance of the song.
A few other notes:
- could we have asked for better weather? It was about 95 degrees in L.A. yesterday, with a slight breeze that made it feel like a perfect summer day. Really, really beautiful. A great set-up to a perfect night of music.
- Eddie is a funny guy and completely won over the crowd with his sense of humor. Cases in point:
a) although not listed in the setlist, Eddie paused after "I'm Open" to play/sing snippets of Worship Songs he had heard on the television that morning (one was called "God is in Control" and the other was "Limit Yourself"). This was hilarious as all hell and had the crowd in stitches! He then tied this in to White House and John McCain before playing a kick-ass version of "Masters of War."
b) after talking about Cameron Crowe being in the house, Eddie started talking about Cameron hooking he and Jeff up with money for small things during the filming of "Singles" (he said Jeff got $500-$800 for lending his shorts and leggings to the film, and that Eddie himself got the same amount for giving Matt Dillon guitar lessons). He then went in to a HILARIOUS impersonation of Matt Dillon that was spot on and had us all cracking up.
c) After talking about the last time he was here (for the benefit with Beck, Mike Ness, etc.), he mentioned that Chris Rock was also at the show and went in to another HILARIOUS impersonation of him. In his best Chris Rock voice he said something along the lines of... "What am I doing here with all these white people? It's Martin Luther King day. I should be out fucking a white woman!"
- I didn't see Cameron Crowe, but I did spot John Lithgow in the Loge section.
- If that fucker who wouldn't stop shouting "Footsteps" is back for Night 2, somebody better break that fuckers mouth until he shuts up. He was the only negative spot in an otherwise perfect evening.
- Got a couple posters about 30 minutes after the doors opened. Zippos were sold out by then, though...gonna have to get there earlier today!
- Sat far away in Mezzanine for night 1...have 10Club tickets for tonight. I'm salivating at the possibilities for tonight.
See some of you there!
walkunafraid PLEASE report to the wishlist table later today. Thank you!
~~~~~~ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME~~~~~~
Sir Mike McCready is....THE MASTER!!! WAHHH!!!
EVENFLOW PSYCHOS H.N.I.C~FEEL THE FLOW!!!
"Pearl Jam fans are obsessed, they'd see the boys in HELL if tickets were sold."-CROJAM95
Great article. I love everything Ben Wener touched on. One of the best reviews I've read yet. It's true about our generation. I won't say we, rather a select few have to make themselves heard at the shows and remain anonymous morons who assist on causing disturbances around them. Maybe one day the loudmouth obnoxious fans will grow up. You'd think that as the aging, maturing fanbase that we are, we would already have.
Great article. I love everything Ben Wener touched on. One of the best reviews I've read yet. It's true about our generation. I won't say we, rather a select few have to make themselves heard at the shows and remain anonymous morons who assist on causing disturbances around them. Maybe one day the loudmouth obnoxious fans will grow up. You'd think that as the aging, maturing fanbase that we are, we would already have.
It'll still take about another 10 years for that to happen. By then almost everyone will be out of their 20s.
"Underneath this smile lies everything - all my hopes, anger, pride and shame."
But forgive me for being out of the loop...where is the Wishlist table and what do I do there?
haha the wishlist table is at the OPUS restaurant right nexxxt door to the wiltern b4 dennys. Thats where the preparty/fundraiser is at. Everyone should stop by and say hey or have a drink!!! I'll take a jack n coke exxxtra ice!!! we'll be there from 2pm til around 630.
cutback and JOEJOEJOE should join you!!!!
~~~~~~ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME~~~~~~
Sir Mike McCready is....THE MASTER!!! WAHHH!!!
EVENFLOW PSYCHOS H.N.I.C~FEEL THE FLOW!!!
"Pearl Jam fans are obsessed, they'd see the boys in HELL if tickets were sold."-CROJAM95
haha the wishlist table is at the OPUS restaurant right nexxxt door to the wiltern b4 dennys. Thats where the preparty/fundraiser is at. Everyone should stop by and say hey or have a drink!!! I'll take a jack n coke exxxtra ice!!! we'll be there from 2pm til around 630.
cutback and JOEJOEJOE should join you!!!!
If only I was going to the LA shows, we could hang out, talk Pearl Jam, and watch the Hills together. Oh wait, something was wrong with that sentence! Have fun at the shows, I have a feeling tonight will be the big night. Much like Berkeley 2.
haha the wishlist table is at the OPUS restaurant right nexxxt door to the wiltern b4 dennys. Thats where the preparty/fundraiser is at. Everyone should stop by and say hey or have a drink!!! I'll take a jack n coke exxxtra ice!!! we'll be there from 2pm til around 630.
cutback and JOEJOEJOE should join you!!!!
Sounds tempting.....if the gf and I can rally, and also accept the fact that we would be right next to the venue, but not seeing the show, perhaps we will come!
I've been a fan since the beginning and I've been to alot of PJ shows. Granted, this is not Pearl Jam, but what a performance Ed put on last night. Words fail me. If you had a chance to see him on this tour you know. There were so many highlights last night I don't know where to begin. One that stands out though, was when Ed was presented with the Golden Globe. The look on his face was priceless!! Yes he looked a little embrassed, but as he sat there listening to the presentation he also looked so happy. It made me feel so good to see this. And ARC...simply amazing. Thank you Eddie for a wonderful night, and 10c for the best seats I ever had, 2nd row center!!!! Thanks to all the other 10c members who were there that I talked to. It was nice to talk to people who understand. Enjoy Eddie and Pearl Jam as they long as they are around, people. There aren't many like them left.
Yes, someone please smash the Footsteps guy. He has been killing me at every show. When he starts bellowing tonight, just give him a swift chop to the throat, that ought to shut him up.
First night with no ten club seats last night. Sat in Mez but show was still amazing. Can't get over he amount of idiots though. People constantly up and down to get beers, fight broke out behind me due to some assholes talking throughout Liam's set, girl next to me passed out, and guy two rows back puked up a day's worth of food. VERY CLASSY PEOPLE!
Yes, someone please smash the Footsteps guy. He has been killing me at every show. When he starts bellowing tonight, just give him a swift chop to the throat, that ought to shut him up.
First night with no ten club seats last night. Sat in Mez but show was still amazing. Can't get over he amount of idiots though. People constantly up and down to get beers, fight broke out behind me due to some assholes talking throughout Liam's set, girl next to me passed out, and guy two rows back puked up a day's worth of food. VERY CLASSY PEOPLE!
Great show but some effed up folks!
Where were you in the Mezz?
Everything has chains...Absolutely nothing's changed. - PJ
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
To everyone who is irritated by the guy yelling out Footsteps, Immortality, etc. get used to it for night #2. The same guy, or at least someone saying the exactly same thing, kept yelling for Footsteps at Santa Cruz and Berkeley #1 (I wasn't at Berkeley #2, but I think I heard that the Footsteps yell happened there too). It would be cool if EV does perform Footsteps, but at the same time it would validate yelling out at the concerts and that is not a good thing.
It was 4 guys who were absolutely hammered, all HUGE douchebags.....they were sitting right next to me, and although everyone kept telling them to shut up, they kept yelling. They even started singing the lyrics to immortality when just screaming the song title wasn't enough.
Once again...Eddie didn't disappoint; once again, neither did you guys: in general, I'm talking about all Pearl Jam fans; specifically, everyone who was at the show; even more specifically, I got to meet and hang out with Lizard, Lizard's husband, Sweet Adeline, and Nfanel. Good people. Funny people.
At the risk of sounding like a neo-pseudo-poseur-retro-hippie, I really got off on the communal nature of these last two shows.
I'm not exactly an extrovert (becoming a teacher is curing me of that), so it surprised me how easily I found it to turn to a complete stranger and let loose with some joyful rant, peppered with profanity.
(By the by, if any of you were offended or uncomfortable listening to the joyful-profanity rants of some random big guy, then I apologize. I couldn't help myself. Oh yeah...and these were rants of normal, considerate volume. I wasn't the "FOOTSTEPS!!!!!!!!" guy.)
It's nights like these that remind me what great joy and passion can be had if we focus on what we have in common rather than what separates us.
One last note, it's been a long time since I've been moved by a performance--of any kind--like I was moved by Eddie's re-creation of Arc.
At first, I couldn't help but consider the powerful ramifications of the song's genesis. Then, slowly, I seemed to slip into a bit of a meditative state--transported by Arc's primal nature. Finally, I found myself simply staring at the ground, hands clasped in almost a state of supplication. Powerfully emotive stuff.
So, fast forward about two hours...
My friend Cutback and I, yes THE Cutback, were in line at the In N' Out Burger when he nudges me and points to the license plate of the car in front of us.
Now, I like to think of myself as being equal parts logical and emotional, cynical and optimistic, Joel Fleischman and Chris in the Morning (I've been watching Northern Exposure re-runs), but seeing this license plate in conjunction with the spiritual nature of Arc at the Wiltern seems to be more than just chaotic coincidence.
Part of my brain is saying, "Shut up you idiot! Weird, coincidental shit happens all the time. You just don't acknowledge it. At best, this is synchronicity."
The other side of my brain is screaming, "What are the odds that a license plate will be issued with those three letters in that particular order, and that car is in Rosemead at 12:30 in the morning at the In N Out we decided to go to, in the lane we chose, following a concert where my mind was blown by an artist singing a song whose title also includes those three letters in that specific order? This is none of that profane bullshit you deal with everyday; this is SACRED!"
Obviously the mystic side of my brain is slightly more convoluted and verbose than the laconic logical side.
And when it came to this particular argument, the mystic side kicked the logical side's ass.
Synchronicity or epiphany? Either way, I had a blast.
Cheers.
"In the depths of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus
"He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that." -- John Stuart Mill
haha the wishlist table is at the OPUS restaurant right nexxxt door to the wiltern b4 dennys. Thats where the preparty/fundraiser is at. Everyone should stop by and say hey or have a drink!!! I'll take a jack n coke exxxtra ice!!! we'll be there from 2pm til around 630.
cutback and JOEJOEJOE should join you!!!!
It's a long drive for me out to L.A., but I'll definitely stop by if I get there by a reasonable time. Looking forward to meeting all you pre-partiers!
Everything has chains...Absolutely nothing's changed. - PJ
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
And when it came to this particular argument, the mystic side kicked the logical side's ass.
Synchronicity or epiphany? Either way, I had a blast.
Cheers.
Probbly a bit of both. ARC is truly a spiritual song. Not religious, spiritual and like someone else said, it make the goose pimples come out!
I had my own weird experience with last night. The night before the show, I dreamt that we were in the second row on the left side at the show. I woke up excited but disappointed that it was a dream. So then we get our 10C tickets last night. They were second row (BBB) on the right side. However there were no other seats in front of us so it ended up being front row. Love you 10C!!! Weird stuff. oh, and the two seats next to us went to waste. Someone didn't show up to pick up their tickets so two front row seats went empty. :(
cameron crowe and patrick warburton were sitting right behind me and sweet adeline. they were really friendly - patrick was there with his son, said it was his son's first show.
i was gushing to cameron crowe about how much i love his movies and carrying on about almost famous and say anything and he seemed to be genuinely appreciative of the compliments/gushing. really cool guy. he even tapped sweet adeline on the shoulder after "i'm open" to ask what song it was. i've been a cameron crowe fan for so long it all felt kind of surreal to have him (the ultimate music fan) tapping on the back of my chair during a concert! seriously one of the top experiences i've had!
i think everyone already covered how amazing arc was. that was definitely a special moment that words can't describe.
ed really knows how to command a room. i didn't think it was possible to gain more respect for him but i really did. i can't say enough about it!!!
it was really great meeting so many cool pit people at the pre-party (lizard, mcjuicy, meistereider, foxymop...) thanks to her and everyone else who helped put that together! and thanks, cutback for the ride. meeting cutback was up there with meeting cameron crowe and patrick warburton. (he does exist!)
-finding out that ed is a fucking badass on the guitar and other various instruments he played for us.
-meeting patrick warburton and cameron crowe and seeing nfanel gush over cameron
-meeting pjtaper and finding out he isn't a psycho like he appears to be on the message board (thanks for the beer).
-meeting cutback and finding out he does exist (thanks for the ride my friend). thanks to foxwell(?) for putting up with me and for talking me out of buying a hotdog from the street vendors.
-seeing lizard and her husband again, hope to see you again when the 2nd leg west coast swing happens.
-meeting foxy, EvilClosetMonkey, SOLAT13, meistereder and his wife. all very cool people. if i left anyone off and i know i did, i didn't mean to, you are all cool.
highlights for me:
for putting up with me and for talking me out of buying a hotdog from the street vendors.
They talked you out of one the most heavenly divine street creations and you are happy? For shame! Sure you risk food poisoning but its soooooooo worth it! if you are going to LA2 then make sure u pick one up
What's with the bandaid on his hand. Did he get in a fight with Stone before his tour started
2000-10-28 San Bernardino
2003-06-02 Irvine
2003-10-26 Mountain View-Bridge School
2006-07-09 Los Angeles
2006-07-10 Los Angeles
2006-10-22 Mountain View- Bridge School
2008-07-19 UCLA-Who Rock Honors
2009-10-1 Los Angeles-2
2009-10-9 San Diego
This show was one of the more remarkable things I have ever seen.
First off I had no idea I was going (another story). The venue was awesome.
The best sound system I have ever heard. Eddie was unbelievable.
I was overly impressed and moved by Millworker, Porch, & Hard Sun.
The backdrops were awesome. Especially the campfire look and the ocean.
The most incredible & moving peice for me though was,...the rendition of Arc.
Wow was that powerful.
PJ - 36
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra
Comments
Shhhhh! Keep that to yourself.
(I'm looking for one)
for the least they could possibly do
sshhhhh!! i'm trying to maintain being an enigma
it was great to hang out with you guys....so glad sweet adeline and pjtaper are friends now
Sir Mike McCready is....THE MASTER!!! WAHHH!!!
EVENFLOW PSYCHOS H.N.I.C~FEEL THE FLOW!!!
"Pearl Jam fans are obsessed, they'd see the boys in HELL if tickets were sold."-CROJAM95
It takes balls to put out a UKE album!
Yes ma'am!
But forgive me for being out of the loop...where is the Wishlist table and what do I do there?
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
It's growing up just like me.
Nice
Great article. I love everything Ben Wener touched on. One of the best reviews I've read yet. It's true about our generation. I won't say we, rather a select few have to make themselves heard at the shows and remain anonymous morons who assist on causing disturbances around them. Maybe one day the loudmouth obnoxious fans will grow up. You'd think that as the aging, maturing fanbase that we are, we would already have.
It'll still take about another 10 years for that to happen. By then almost everyone will be out of their 20s.
cutback and JOEJOEJOE should join you!!!!
Sir Mike McCready is....THE MASTER!!! WAHHH!!!
EVENFLOW PSYCHOS H.N.I.C~FEEL THE FLOW!!!
"Pearl Jam fans are obsessed, they'd see the boys in HELL if tickets were sold."-CROJAM95
It takes balls to put out a UKE album!
If only I was going to the LA shows, we could hang out, talk Pearl Jam, and watch the Hills together. Oh wait, something was wrong with that sentence!
Sounds tempting.....if the gf and I can rally, and also accept the fact that we would be right next to the venue, but not seeing the show, perhaps we will come!
First night with no ten club seats last night. Sat in Mez but show was still amazing. Can't get over he amount of idiots though. People constantly up and down to get beers, fight broke out behind me due to some assholes talking throughout Liam's set, girl next to me passed out, and guy two rows back puked up a day's worth of food. VERY CLASSY PEOPLE!
Great show but some effed up folks!
Where were you in the Mezz?
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
It was 4 guys who were absolutely hammered, all HUGE douchebags.....they were sitting right next to me, and although everyone kept telling them to shut up, they kept yelling. They even started singing the lyrics to immortality when just screaming the song title wasn't enough.
At the risk of sounding like a neo-pseudo-poseur-retro-hippie, I really got off on the communal nature of these last two shows.
I'm not exactly an extrovert (becoming a teacher is curing me of that), so it surprised me how easily I found it to turn to a complete stranger and let loose with some joyful rant, peppered with profanity.
(By the by, if any of you were offended or uncomfortable listening to the joyful-profanity rants of some random big guy, then I apologize. I couldn't help myself. Oh yeah...and these were rants of normal, considerate volume. I wasn't the "FOOTSTEPS!!!!!!!!" guy.)
It's nights like these that remind me what great joy and passion can be had if we focus on what we have in common rather than what separates us.
One last note, it's been a long time since I've been moved by a performance--of any kind--like I was moved by Eddie's re-creation of Arc.
At first, I couldn't help but consider the powerful ramifications of the song's genesis. Then, slowly, I seemed to slip into a bit of a meditative state--transported by Arc's primal nature. Finally, I found myself simply staring at the ground, hands clasped in almost a state of supplication. Powerfully emotive stuff.
So, fast forward about two hours...
My friend Cutback and I, yes THE Cutback, were in line at the In N' Out Burger when he nudges me and points to the license plate of the car in front of us.
This is what I saw:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k16/cutback32/IMG_1031.jpg
Now, I like to think of myself as being equal parts logical and emotional, cynical and optimistic, Joel Fleischman and Chris in the Morning (I've been watching Northern Exposure re-runs), but seeing this license plate in conjunction with the spiritual nature of Arc at the Wiltern seems to be more than just chaotic coincidence.
Part of my brain is saying, "Shut up you idiot! Weird, coincidental shit happens all the time. You just don't acknowledge it. At best, this is synchronicity."
The other side of my brain is screaming, "What are the odds that a license plate will be issued with those three letters in that particular order, and that car is in Rosemead at 12:30 in the morning at the In N Out we decided to go to, in the lane we chose, following a concert where my mind was blown by an artist singing a song whose title also includes those three letters in that specific order? This is none of that profane bullshit you deal with everyday; this is SACRED!"
Obviously the mystic side of my brain is slightly more convoluted and verbose than the laconic logical side.
And when it came to this particular argument, the mystic side kicked the logical side's ass.
Synchronicity or epiphany? Either way, I had a blast.
Cheers.
"He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that." -- John Stuart Mill
"Mongo just a pawn in game of life." -- Mongo
It's a long drive for me out to L.A., but I'll definitely stop by if I get there by a reasonable time. Looking forward to meeting all you pre-partiers!
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
Probbly a bit of both. ARC is truly a spiritual song. Not religious, spiritual and like someone else said, it make the goose pimples come out!
I had my own weird experience with last night. The night before the show, I dreamt that we were in the second row on the left side at the show. I woke up excited but disappointed that it was a dream. So then we get our 10C tickets last night. They were second row (BBB) on the right side. However there were no other seats in front of us so it ended up being front row. Love you 10C!!! Weird stuff. oh, and the two seats next to us went to waste. Someone didn't show up to pick up their tickets so two front row seats went empty. :(
i was gushing to cameron crowe about how much i love his movies and carrying on about almost famous and say anything and he seemed to be genuinely appreciative of the compliments/gushing. really cool guy. he even tapped sweet adeline on the shoulder after "i'm open" to ask what song it was. i've been a cameron crowe fan for so long it all felt kind of surreal to have him (the ultimate music fan) tapping on the back of my chair during a concert! seriously one of the top experiences i've had!
i think everyone already covered how amazing arc was. that was definitely a special moment that words can't describe.
ed really knows how to command a room. i didn't think it was possible to gain more respect for him but i really did. i can't say enough about it!!!
it was really great meeting so many cool pit people at the pre-party (lizard, mcjuicy, meistereider, foxymop...) thanks to her and everyone else who helped put that together! and thanks, cutback for the ride. meeting cutback was up there with meeting cameron crowe and patrick warburton. (he does exist!)
so glad we got to hang out with you guys last night!
i'm still trying to wrap my brain around the whole experience....
haha, wishful thinking. there will always be stupid obnoxious 20 yr olds ruining shows for us "aging, maturing fanbase".
;-)
At least we have, as someone said earlier, the option of using a poster tube.
-the previously mentioned arc compilation
-finding out that ed is a fucking badass on the guitar and other various instruments he played for us.
-meeting patrick warburton and cameron crowe and seeing nfanel gush over cameron
-meeting pjtaper and finding out he isn't a psycho like he appears to be on the message board (thanks for the beer).
-meeting cutback and finding out he does exist (thanks for the ride my friend). thanks to foxwell(?) for putting up with me and for talking me out of buying a hotdog from the street vendors.
-seeing lizard and her husband again, hope to see you again when the 2nd leg west coast swing happens.
-meeting foxy, EvilClosetMonkey, SOLAT13, meistereder and his wife. all very cool people. if i left anyone off and i know i did, i didn't mean to, you are all cool.
They talked you out of one the most heavenly divine street creations and you are happy? For shame! Sure you risk food poisoning but its soooooooo worth it! if you are going to LA2 then make sure u pick one up
What's with the bandaid on his hand. Did he get in a fight with Stone before his tour started
2003-06-02 Irvine
2003-10-26 Mountain View-Bridge School
2006-07-09 Los Angeles
2006-07-10 Los Angeles
2006-10-22 Mountain View- Bridge School
2008-07-19 UCLA-Who Rock Honors
2009-10-1 Los Angeles-2
2009-10-9 San Diego
Let me fix that for you: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936787.html?categoryid=34&cs=1
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
First off I had no idea I was going (another story). The venue was awesome.
The best sound system I have ever heard. Eddie was unbelievable.
I was overly impressed and moved by Millworker, Porch, & Hard Sun.
The backdrops were awesome. Especially the campfire look and the ocean.
The most incredible & moving peice for me though was,...the rendition of Arc.
Wow was that powerful.
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
Let's connect on twitter - @Jeffgorra