Rolling Stone recap of the Vic show

We All Believe

pics at the link:

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/08/03/pearl-jam-break-out-rarities-ben-harper-at-intimate-chicago-gig/

Pearl Jam Break Out Rarities, Ben Harper at Intimate Chicago Gig

Last night, as a warm-up for their Lollapalooza gig this weekend, Pearl Jam played a house party for 1,300 fortunate fan club members at the quaint Vic Theatre in Chicago. Demand far exceeded supply as the streets surrounding the venue were overflowing with zealous fans holding signs that offered everything from sex to $3,000 for a single ticket. The crowd roared as Eddie Vedder strolled onstage, played a song by himself and declared, “I’m the opening act, I came cheap.” The highlight of Vedder’s five-song pre-set was a short cover of the old drinking tune “I Used to Work in Chicago,” which served as a precursor to a new track he penned about the Chicago Cubs that ignited the hometown crowd.

Thirty minutes later the full band emerged, looking fresh and relaxed before opening with a solid version of “All or None” followed by “Education” and “Sad,” both cuts from the rarities compilation Lost Dogs. Pearl Jam then induced a deafening three-minute sing-along on fan favorite “In Hiding” before continuing with tracks like the introspective “Off He Goes,” the recent hit single “World Wide Suicide” and the lone selection from Ten, “Why Go.” The band continued to sprinkle in B-sides from Lost Dogs with lead guitarist Mike McCready bounding about the stage and providing melodic guitar leads on tracks such as “Down,” “Undone” and “Hard to Imagine.”

After the sixteen-song set ended, the first encore began with a solo Vedder introducing a brilliant new song titled “No More.” The rest of the band joined for three more tracks, culminating with a cover of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me.” The band then surprised the veteran audience during the second encore with a virgin performance of the KISS tune “Black Diamond” that featured drummer Matt Cameron on vocals. The three-song second encore ended with a raucous cover of the Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer,” during which Vedder briefly teased the crowd with thoughts of stage diving by climbing atop an amplifier.

Moments later the band returned with friend Ben Harper in tow, turned the house lights on and played a flawless version of “Indifference.” The faithful quietly sang along and held cell phones aloft as Harper and Vedder traded lead vocals. It was a special collaboration that capped a uniquely intimate gig packed with rare and exciting material, and fans filed out of the theater convinced of Pearl Jam’s enduring commitment to their loyal fans — and that the group remains today’s preeminent live touring band.

Photos: Kevin Mazur / Wireimage

-- Richard L. Dewey

ledvedderman

We All Believe wrote:

pics at the link:

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/08/03/pearl-jam-break-out-rarities-ben-harper-at-intimate-chicago-gig/

Pearl Jam Break Out Rarities, Ben Harper at Intimate Chicago Gig

Last night, as a warm-up for their Lollapalooza gig this weekend, Pearl Jam played a house party for 1,300 fortunate fan club members at the quaint Vic Theatre in Chicago. Demand far exceeded supply as the streets surrounding the venue were overflowing with zealous fans holding signs that offered everything from sex to $3,000 for a single ticket. The crowd roared as Eddie Vedder strolled onstage, played a song by himself and declared, “I’m the opening act, I came cheap.” The highlight of Vedder’s five-song pre-set was a short cover of the old drinking tune “I Used to Work in Chicago,” which served as a precursor to a new track he penned about the Chicago Cubs that ignited the hometown crowd.

Thirty minutes later the full band emerged, looking fresh and relaxed before opening with a solid version of “All or None” followed by “Education” and “Sad,” both cuts from the rarities compilation Lost Dogs. Pearl Jam then induced a deafening three-minute sing-along on fan favorite “In Hiding” before continuing with tracks like the introspective “Off He Goes,” the recent hit single “World Wide Suicide” and the lone selection from Ten, “Why Go.” The band continued to sprinkle in B-sides from Lost Dogs with lead guitarist Mike McCready bounding about the stage and providing melodic guitar leads on tracks such as “Down,” “Undone” and “Hard to Imagine.”

After the sixteen-song set ended, the first encore began with a solo Vedder introducing a brilliant new song titled “No More.” The rest of the band joined for three more tracks, culminating with a cover of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me.” The band then surprised the veteran audience during the second encore with a virgin performance of the KISS tune “Black Diamond” that featured drummer Matt Cameron on vocals. The three-song second encore ended with a raucous cover of the Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer,” during which Vedder briefly teased the crowd with thoughts of stage diving by climbing atop an amplifier.

Moments later the band returned with friend Ben Harper in tow, turned the house lights on and played a flawless version of “Indifference.” The faithful quietly sang along and held cell phones aloft as Harper and Vedder traded lead vocals. It was a special collaboration that capped a uniquely intimate gig packed with rare and exciting material, and fans filed out of the theater convinced of Pearl Jam’s enduring commitment to their loyal fans — and that the group remains today’s preeminent live touring band.

Photos: Kevin Mazur / Wireimage

-- Richard L. Dewey

Thanks for posting that. My ears are still fucking ringing.

wolfbear

Nice read - thanks for posting.

jlew24asu

ledvedderman wrote:

Thanks for posting that. My ears are still fucking ringing.

you are my hero. videos and pics are uploading now. I will make a thread soon.

mookie_in_eugene

Already an article about the show?! Nice! Thanks for the link.

voodoopug

my ears still are sore a bit today too! (I was right infront of the big speakers on Stone's side).

Nice to see a solid and accurate review from Rolling Stone as they normally write very bland/vanilla reviews.

jlew24asu

We All Believe wrote:

pics at the link:

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/08/03/pearl-jam-break-out-rarities-ben-harper-at-intimate-chicago-gig/

Pearl Jam Break Out Rarities, Ben Harper at Intimate Chicago Gig

Last night, as a warm-up for their Lollapalooza gig this weekend, Pearl Jam played a house party for 1,300 fortunate fan club members at the quaint Vic Theatre in Chicago. Demand far exceeded supply as the streets surrounding the venue were overflowing with zealous fans holding signs that offered everything from sex to $3,000 for a single ticket. The crowd roared as Eddie Vedder strolled onstage, played a song by himself and declared, “I’m the opening act, I came cheap.” The highlight of Vedder’s five-song pre-set was a short cover of the old drinking tune “I Used to Work in Chicago,” which served as a precursor to a new track he penned about the Chicago Cubs that ignited the hometown crowd.

Thirty minutes later the full band emerged, looking fresh and relaxed before opening with a solid version of “All or None” followed by “Education” and “Sad,” both cuts from the rarities compilation Lost Dogs. Pearl Jam then induced a deafening three-minute sing-along on fan favorite “In Hiding” before continuing with tracks like the introspective “Off He Goes,” the recent hit single “World Wide Suicide” and the lone selection from Ten, “Why Go.” The band continued to sprinkle in B-sides from Lost Dogs with lead guitarist Mike McCready bounding about the stage and providing melodic guitar leads on tracks such as “Down,” “Undone” and “Hard to Imagine.”

After the sixteen-song set ended, the first encore began with a solo Vedder introducing a brilliant new song titled “No More.” The rest of the band joined for three more tracks, culminating with a cover of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me.” The band then surprised the veteran audience during the second encore with a virgin performance of the KISS tune “Black Diamond” that featured drummer Matt Cameron on vocals. The three-song second encore ended with a raucous cover of the Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer,” during which Vedder briefly teased the crowd with thoughts of stage diving by climbing atop an amplifier.

Moments later the band returned with friend Ben Harper in tow, turned the house lights on and played a flawless version of “Indifference.” The faithful quietly sang along and held cell phones aloft as Harper and Vedder traded lead vocals. It was a special collaboration that capped a uniquely intimate gig packed with rare and exciting material, and fans filed out of the theater convinced of Pearl Jam’s enduring commitment to their loyal fans — and that the group remains today’s preeminent live touring band.

Photos: Kevin Mazur / Wireimage

-- Richard L. Dewey

thanks for posting. only problem is it wasnt a hometown crowd. Chicagoans were the minority in the room. but wow what a night. thanks brian

einatshaul

"today’s preeminent live touring band"

I like that, it's all true

I'm so glad I got to be part of it for 26 shows... Next 10C small gig they do - I'll be there no matter what!

cropdustress

Ah, nice to read about it.

PJ_Lukin

Finally, an accurate review from RS.

TrixieCat

Ooh..that gave me shivers.
SO happy for the crowd!

Solat13

TrixieCat wrote:

Ooh..that gave me shivers.
SO happy for the crowd!

I stil have them. Last night was just so amazing - it still won't sink in.

Great review there of the show. Last night was just such an amazing experience.

emily18

wow holy crap that sounds like it was amazing!
hope everyone had an awesome time
wish i coulda been there!!

ledvedderman

jlew24asu wrote:

thanks for posting. only problem is it wasnt a hometown crowd. Chicagoans were the minority in the room. but wow what a night. thanks brian

No need to thank me. All the praise to Chris. I had an awesome time.

Hope it was worth all the stress leading up to it.

Yellow Bedwetter

great article, pics, and well-written
wish i was there last ntie

jlew24asu

ledvedderman wrote:

No need to thank me. All the praise to Chris. I had an awesome time.

Hope it was worth all the stress leading up to it.

I couldnt have done it without ya. stress? pfffft jlew feels no stress i'm off to Wrigley

We All Believe

Here's what Billboard had to say. No pics.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003621169

Pearl Jam Proffers Rarities At Lollapalooza Warmup

August 03, 2007, 10:55 AM ET
Joshua Klein, Chicago

Shaking off the rust from a month-long break between shows, Pearl Jam treated a fan club-only crowd to a rarities-packed set last night (Aug. 2) at Chicago's intimate Vic Theatre. The gig served as a warm-up for the band's headlining set on Sunday at Lollapalooza in the city's Grant Park.

Frontman Eddie Vedder opened the show solo with covers of Cat Stevens' "Trouble" and Tom Waits' "Picture in a Frame," plus Pearl Jam's "Dead Man" and a made-up ditty about the Chicago Cubs, a dedication that drew equal parts cheers and boos from supporters and White Sox fans, respectively (Vedder will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" today during the Cubs/Mets game at Wrigley Field).

From there, Pearl Jam launched into a 24-song set that went heavy on obscurities and included just two hits, "Wishlist" and "World Wide Suicide." The show opened with the rarely performed "All or None" and the B-side "Education" and went on to feature uncommon songs like "Undone," "Low Light," "I'm Open" and "Rats."

"Forgive us," mumbled Vedder about a third of the way in. "But most of these songs we decided to play about 4:30 this afternoon." Later, drummer Matt Cameron took the mic for a cover of Kiss' "Black Diamond," and for the finale, Ben Harper joined the band for the hushed "Indifference."

For a full review of the show, visit Billboard.com this afternoon.

Hinny

einatshaul wrote:

"today’s preeminent live touring band"

I like that, it's all true

I'm so glad I got to be part of it for 26 shows... Next 10C small gig they do - I'll be there no matter what!

And we go halfsies on the pair, ok?

beachdweller

this may be the best thing ever printed in RS about PJ...no hype, no marketing, no bs, just what it was.

thx 4 sharing

chikevin

from billboard.com
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/reviews/live_review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003621320

Rarities Dominate At Pearl Jam's Lolla Warm-Up
Josh Klein, Chicago
Pearl Jam's never been a particularly radical band, but there is one thing that increasingly sets the group apart from its peers: they're one of the few American acts not just able to pack arenas but are comfortable doing so. In fact, it's safe to say that Pearl Jam is nearly unique in its tendency to perform proportional to the size of the crowd. Oftentimes the bigger the audience, the better the show.

The reason is simple and goes well beyond skill or the band's impressively diverse back catalog: Pearl Jam cares. It's one of the main reasons they built up and maintained one of the most loyal and dedicated fan bases in the world, a mutually reciprocal relationship the group never fails to acknowledge.

So while tens of thousands of fans readied themselves for Pearl Jam's Lollapalooza performance on Sunday, around 1300 or so of the most lucky fans got to catch the band playing a special warm up club show at the cozy Vic Theatre. And given that those on hand were among the most hardcore of the hardcore, Pearl Jam gave them a set brimming with rarely played songs and hardly a hit among them.

Eddie Vedder served as the night's opening act, his solo set typically modest in delivery. But, despite a somber shout-out to the West Memphis Three, it was also surprisingly jovial. The Evanston, Ill., native even debuted a song written for his beloved Cubs, a dedication that drew equal parts cheers and boos from supporters and White Sox fans, respectively.

Considering that aforementioned back catalog, Pearl Jam sets can go in almost any direction: angry, reflective, soft, loud, fast, slow. This night the group chose to dig deep. "Forgive us," mumbled Vedder about a third of the way in. "But most of these songs we decided to play about 4:30 this afternoon." But of course no one seemed to care when the band performed tracks like "In Hiding," "Low Light," "Sad" and "Rats," with less than obvious hooks and quirky arrangements.

Among the few set standards, Pearl Jam mostly stuck to ballads like "Off He Goes" and "Wishlist," though a midpoint turn toward rock evinced the likes of "World Wide Suicide" and an aggressively rearranged "Why Go." Then things, already a touch loose, got a little giddy, culminating in an encore performance of the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" and, later, Kiss's "Black Diamond" (sung by drummer Matt Cameron) and the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer," a longtime Pearl Jam cover favorite.

After one last brief pause, the band brought out friend and fan Ben Harper for "Indifference," sending everyone home on a mellow note. Maybe that's not what one necessarily expects from Pearl Jam. But maybe the set list hints at things to come, imminently, when the band takes a much bigger stage: all the hits and hard rock.

Here is Pearl Jam's set list:

"All or None"
"Education"
"Sad"
"In Hiding"
"Parachutes"
"I'm Open"
"Wishlist"
"Down"
"Undone"
"Off He Goes"
"Hard To Imagine"
"Gods' Dice"
"World Wide Suicide"
"Rats"
"Gone"
"Why Go"

Encore 1:
"No More"
"Inside Job"
"Low Light"
"Love Reign O'er Me"

Encore 2:
"Comatose"
"Black Diamond"
"Sonic Reducer"
"Indifference" (w/ Ben Harper)