batman, lab coats and more

babsmc

ok, to the diehard, these questions may be pedestrian... but here goes:

1. what's up with the batman wings onstage? and the poster? what's the connection with ed and batman? (boyhood hero? battling evil?)

2. explain/discuss the lab coats please.

3. i took a few pics at T.O.II (no flash! don't berate me!). in one, i can see a framed photo leaning against the table where ed had his drink, facing towards his stool and the left side of the stage. anyone sitting on that side see what it's a photo of?

thanks
__________________

kingmatt

I'll take a shot but these are mostly guesses... someone more learned will correct me if need be

babsmc wrote:

ok, to the diehard, these questions may be pedestrian... but here goes:

1. what's up with the batman wings onstage? and the poster? what's the connection with ed and batman? (boyhood hero? battling evil?)

Welllll... the bat-wings have been around for years (and they're unrelated to Batman). They were often just part of PJ's on-stage stuff. My bigger question is why they weren't at PJ shows on the east coast but they are at Ed shows. Maybe Jeff and the bat-wings are fighting?

As for the Batman poster connection, I'm not sure how much direct input Ed/PJ has into the images themselves. No doubt they approve each one but its more than likely up to the artist to come up with the concept. And Batman seems to be dominating the pop-culture stage these days so......

babsmc wrote:

2. explain/discuss the lab coats please.

Not a clue. I think its just a theme he chose for the solo tour... like he's an evil (ok, good) scientist creating wonderful concoctions. In Montreal 1 he made mention of trying to create something beautiful - Arc - as he put the lab coat on.

I wanna know what's up with the weird floor sweeper in between encores?? Some dude with a big white mask in a lab coat sweeping the stage.

babsmc wrote:

3. i took a few pics at T.O.II (no flash! don't berate me!). in one, i can see a framed photo leaning against the table where ed had his drink, facing towards his stool and the left side of the stage. anyone sitting on that side see what it's a photo of?

Good question! My wife swore it was Barack Obama but I took a goooood look in Toronto and I just don't think that's it. Anyone recognize the face?

babsmc wrote:

thanks

No thanks to me... I think I just asked more questions.

smallpox

Come to think of it, I should have worn my lab coat to the shows!!!!!!

mnicole22

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Hey,_My_My_(Into_The_Black)

Here's my guess on the lab coats;

Quote from the link;

"Upon its release, Rust Never Sleeps was hailed as a commercial and critical revitalization for Young, and the successful, bizarre tour (featuring oversized amps, road crews dressed as Jawas from the then-new Star Wars film, sound technicians in LAB COATS, music from Woodstock played from disintegrating tapes, etc.) earned him a new generation of fans and good will, buoyed mainly by the epic "Hey Hey, My My"."

Gotta be Uncle Neil.

jked3

The lab coats are worn by the "scientists" during this "experiment"

Ed sees his first solo tour as an "experiment", hence the lab coats

vedder_soup

i thought the lab coats were part of "the experiment"
the experiement being the whole ed solo thing

onthebeach

In Neil Young's concert film Rust Never Sleeps, his sound technicians wore white lab coats and his road crew dressed as jawas from Star Wars...... Eddies techs wore lab coats and the sweeper looked like some Star Warsish something......... so more of a tribute to Neil maybe.

mnicole22

onthebeach wrote:

In Neil Young's concert film Rust Never Sleeps, his sound technicians wore white lab coats and his road crew dressed as jawas from Star Wars...... Eddies techs wore lab coats and the sweeper looked like some Star Warsish something......... so more of a tribute to Neil maybe.

Gotta be.....;)

SCRIBLING C-MENT

babsmc wrote:

3. i took a few pics at T.O.II (no flash! don't berate me!). in one, i can see a framed photo leaning against the table where ed had his drink, facing towards his stool and the left side of the stage. anyone sitting on that side see what it's a photo of?

Thanks to http://www.twofeetthick.com/tft/readArticle.action?id=2331#sd1

In one last desperate blast of my geekiness, since Berkeley I've kind of been on a mission from god to find out who the Indian is in the picture I've seen near Ed's setlist on stage. My dear friend Michelle, lover of all things Native American, was sure she'd seen it before and unearthed it, for which I thank her deeply! [See, other people have Pearl Jam Disease too!]

It was taken by Native American historian Edward Sheriff Curtis, who worked on an exhaustive photographic documentation of Native American Peoples. The photo is in the archive of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (what a coincidence), was taken in 1908 and is of an Arikara indian chief by the name of Bear's Belly. Here is his story, and the story of how he got the bear skin:

Bear's Belly or ku'nuh kana'nu was born in 1847 at Ft. Clark. His first war experience was at the age of nineteen he enlisted at Ft. Abraham Lincoln with Custer's 7th Cavalry and was deployed to Black Hills country. During this campaign they ran into a small camp of Sioux where he was able to count (2) first coups and (1) second coup. Upon his return home Bear's Belly fasted and cut skin offerings to a buffalo skull alter on the outskirts of the village. In the same year Bear's Belly married and later became a member of the Bears medicine fraternity. To fulfill one of the needs of being a member he sought to get a bear skin. The following is a narration of his quest:

"Needing a bear-skin in my medicine-making, I went, at the season when the leaves were turning brown, into the White Clay hills. All the thought of my heart that day was to see a bear and kill him. I passed an eagle-trap, but did not stop: it was a bear I wanted, not an eagle. Coming suddenly to the brink of a cliff I saw below me three bears. My heart wished to go two ways: I wanted a bear, but to fight three was hard. I decided to try it, and, descending, crept up to within forty yards of them, where I stopped to look around for a way of escape if they charged me. The only way out was by the cliff, and as I could not climb well in moccasins I removed them. One bear was standing with his side toward me, another was walking slowly toward him on the other side. I waited until the second one was close to the first, and pulled the trigger. The farther one fell; the bullet had passed through the body of one and into the brain of the other. The wounded one charged, and I ran, loading my rifle, then turned and shot again, breaking his backbone. He lay there on the ground only ten paces from me, and I could see his face twitching. A noise caused me to remember the third bear, which I saw rushing upon me only six or seven paces away. I was yelling to keep up my courage, and the bear was growling in his anger. He rose on his hindlegs, and I shot, with my gun nearly touching his chest. He gave a howl and ran off. The bear with the broken back was dragging himself about with his forelegs, and I went to him and said, , I came looking for you to be my friend, to be with me always.' Then I reloaded my gun and shot him . through the head. His skin I kept, but the other two I sold."

Though I can only speculate what the significance is to Ed, maybe none, my pal Michelle found out from her research that "the Arikara were constantly at war with the Pawneee (notorious warrior tribe that is part of the Sioux family). From what I have read the Arikara were ill-natured and did not get along with anyone else. They were pretty much a lone tribe." Hmmmm....Don't come closer, or I'll have to go....

If you click the link and scroll down you'll see the pic of Bear's Belly!

Gonzo1977

I think the Floor Sweeper is also a nod to Neil Young who had floor sweepers during his Rust Never Sleeps tour.

mnicole22

Don't know about the bat stuff....I yearn for enlightenment!

onthebeach

I always thought the bat wings were a Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas tribute... but who knows

excerpt:

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive . . ."And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about 100 miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?"

mnicole22

onthebeach wrote:

I always thought the bat wings were a Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas tribute... but who knows

excerpt:

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive . . ."And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about 100 miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?"

I like that theory....don't know if its accurate.....but ya gotta love Fear and Loathing.

vedderfan10

Ed keeps his credit cards in a plastic Batman wallet...

Encore

Did anybody notice the guy sweeping the floor during Eddie's intermissio. He was wearing a big white shroud with a rather large mask that looked like something out of Lord of the Rings!

Toronto's show on the 12th was absolutely breathtaking! Eddie really got into it emotionally! He is always intense but on Tuesday at Massey Hall was something out of this world! Especially with Liam Finn opening up! He is extremely talented!

Anyways! I can never get enough of E.V. and Pearl Jam!

SCRIBLING C-MENT

Vedderfan10 wrote:

Ed keeps his credit cards in a plastic Batman wallet...

Funny! my 8 year old son has that same wallet, don't forget that not only is it plastic but it velcros too

NoelMichael

I'm pretty sure the floor sweeper was Ed himself. At least in Newark he had the same color pants. I wouldn't put it past Ed, seems like a fun thing for such a major star to do

finnannie

wasn't Ed sweeping floor in the Immagine in Cornice dvd too? (its in the end of the dvd)

and its on the cover too
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Pearl_Jam_Immagine_In_Cornice_DVD.jpg


I guess he likes to sweep floors - its therapeutical.

share

guys it's fucking batman

us old farts (like ed) lived and breathed batman - ran home after school so I wouldn't miss it

egghead, the bookworm, king tut, the bat computer, the cool ones that had the witches in it and lord and lady foghat or foghorn, something like that

C'MON

you can't question it - it just is

acoustic guy

NoelMichael wrote:

I'm pretty sure the floor sweeper was Ed himself. At least in Newark he had the same color pants. I wouldn't put it past Ed, seems like a fun thing for such a major star to do

No, I thought that too at first but then I saw Ed on the side of the stage while the dude was sweeping.
I Have no idea what it was but it made me chuckle.

babsmc

share wrote:

guys it's fucking batman

us old farts (like ed) lived and breathed batman - ran home after school so I wouldn't miss it

C'MON

you can't question it - it just is

yeah i wondered about the post saying it's nothing to do with batman. then why the batmobile in the posters?! and the ITW silhouette flashed up in the sky like gotham? there's a definite batman theme going on....

some interesting responses though, keep them coming!!

South of Seattle

acoustic guy wrote:

No, I thought that too at first but then I saw Ed on the side of the stage while the dude was sweeping.
I Have no idea what it was but it made me chuckle.

I think the sweepers are different at each show. Don't know if it's ever Ed, but Liam swept the show at least once on the west coast. Then it's other guitar tech's and stuff I believe.

brokenarrow

share wrote:

guys it's fucking batman

us old farts (like ed) lived and breathed batman - ran home after school so I wouldn't miss it

egghead, the bookworm, king tut, the bat computer, the cool ones that had the witches in it and lord and lady foghat or foghorn, something like that

C'MON

you can't question it - it just is

So true Share, I was a total Batman fanatic too, and there was nothing better than Batgirl making an appearance, I wanted to be just like her!

adam west and burt ward kicked ass~


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1RqxHQOG7w


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC8DmmeWcZU

billyruff

Yeah I know it's a bit off topic but.... How come the new Batman needs all that body armor?

and where are the sound balloons when he hits someone that say" POW "!!!

Poncier

billyruff wrote:

and where are the sound balloons when he hits someone that say" POW "!!!

And "Zonk" and "Kazowie".

Jearlpam0925

Does anyone remember the Family Channel re-running the old 60's Batman episodes in the early 90's? That was awesome.

Gonzo1977

1. The bat wings were given to Eddie by Dennis from The Frogs during the 1995 North American tour. They've been on Eddie's amps for several tours since, however have been absent on the last few Pearl Jam tours.

2.The Vingage Reel to Reel and vintage speakers that surround the stage are Ed's and along with the other items..such as the suitcases, box/table w/ the ashtray, drinks, and picture frame on them are there to give off the "intimate" feeling like you are watching Eddie somewhere like a basement studio or living room.

3. The background screens are also noteworthy.
a) The Back Alley---Like a Street Busker or Street Performer
b) The backstage one---note the Tree Props, Crates and Stage props
c) The Circus Tent---backstage. Note the shadows of the amplifiers and microphones in the background as if Eddie is practicing backstage beforehand
d) The Blue Sky---It is what it is...Themed for "Hard Sun"

4) The Lab Coats are worn by techs and anyone else that comes on stage with Eddie are like lab assistants helping out the "Mad Scientist" at work on his "Experiment"

5) Floor Sweeper- I think is a nod to Neil in some indirect way. Either the "Harvest Moon" video or "Rust Never Sleeps" tour both of which had odd ball sweepers.

LeilaMoonTurtle

where are the bat wings? I didn't see them.

Lab coats -- experimenting during the tour.

JaneNY

Gonzo1977 wrote:

3. The background screens are also noteworthy.
a) The Back Alley---Like a Street Busker or Street Performer
b) The backstage one---note the Tree Props, Crates and Stage props
c) The Circus Tent---backstage. Note the shadows of the amplifiers and microphones in the background as if Eddie is practicing backstage beforehand
d) The Blue Sky---It is what it is...Themed for "Hard Sun"

You know what the first backdrop looked like to me? Like it was up on a roof. The second one looked to me like inside a train car or on the side of a train for some reason, and it made sense to me because of the Into the Wild songs that he sings when that is up. (Maybe I don't have good pattern matching skills!) The Circus tent I agree with.

brokenarrow

billyruff wrote:

Yeah I know it's a bit off topic but.... How come the new Batman needs all that body armor?

I know, the real Batman only needed a bit of cotton, nylon, and satin

billyruff wrote:

and where are the sound balloons when he hits someone that say" POW "!!!

Poncier wrote:

And "Zonk" and "Kazowie".

They're also seriously lacking in a full horn section and ultra-swank-'o bass lines. Definitely needed for a full on Batman and Robin type rumble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7_7semtxI0