Thoughts on Eddie's solo tour...

drtyfrnk29

So, I was sitting in the Wiltern crowd on the 12th and I started to get this realization. I thought I'd share it here. If it needs to be moved, that's fine.

What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist. Perhaps it's my admiration for the man, but more likely is his ability to entertain regardless of what he's playing (i.e. playing Smoke on the Water on the uke) or whom with.

I think of it like this. Let's say you have a favorite restaurant. A barbecue rib joint, and you've eaten at this restaurant for over a decade. You know the people who work there, you know their families yada yada yada. Well, one day they tell you they're gonna open a new place. It's just up the street and they want you to try it. The thing is, it's just gonna serve salad and bread. Not a salad bar. You don't get to put a hard boiled egg or bacon on your salad. It's gonna be their side salad and french bread.

The thing is, you don't care that it's not what you're used to because it's coming from the same people that have brought you all those plates of delectable ribs and corn on the cob. Same guy that whipped all that great food is now just chopping up lettuce and slapping on a portion of bleu cheese dressing. And you eat it up.

Ed and the boys have been bringing me big ole slabs of ribs for years but that night. Ed and I had salad and bread in a small room and I friggin loved it.

augustwest

elton does solo piano shows. 2.5hours long

i'd go see that

drtyfrnk29

augustwest wrote:

elton does solo piano shows. 2.5hours long

i'd go see that

So would I. But Elton's not in a band. He has a band, seeing him alone with a piano would not shock me.

SENROCK

i agree jogo. ive said it openly and honestly that i hadd zero intense desire to get tickets to eds shows. BUT, i would BE THERE becuz he is one part of the band that ive loved for years and years. its a respect thing. u show your support no matter what. hearing the way he sounded and how he made those 2 L.A shows highly sought after deserves way more respect in itself. Ed made me more of a fan after this weekend and i alreddie love him and the rest of the boys more than anything EVER!!!!

journeyman

Ed and I had salad and bread. Sounds like a cult chant.

drtyfrnk29

journeyman wrote:

Ed and I had salad and bread. Sounds like a cult chant.

Ha ha. Aw man, that's funny

SENROCK! wrote:

i agree jogo

Thank you, Sen

NYbenben

seeing Ed Solo this weekend was enlightening... it solidified the fact that he is an amazing solo performer as well as a leader of a band that i have been drawn to for so many years. There is No I in team... but there is also no I in Vedder!!

acutejam

I knew from the Vic (trouble) that these were gonna be emoShows for me, and boy were they. But I argued far and wide, he HAD to bring out a backing band, Far Behind, No Ceiling, just couldn't be pulled off acoustic solo. Maybe one set solo, then out would come a cast of characters. He's no Michael Hedges, He's no Leo Kottke -- no jedi master of his instruments (thanks left, I like that term).

And I Was Dead Wrong. He wailed on every stringed instrument put in his hands! I was at a complete loss. In every department. And my two favs above -- spot on! That's the way they were meant to be played -- I'm sold!

Now, he didn't "do" Hedges or Kottke -- he didn't just kick back and blow my mind with an instrumental. But the articles comparing him of the masters that have come before, the ones he paid tribute to by covering them -- he was right there with 'em in my book.

And you've got an awesome point -- I can't think of a soul I'd wanna see solo. But Cornell does a pretty mean acoustic solo Black Hole Sun!

StellaBlue

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

So, I was sitting in the Wiltern crowd on the 12th and I started to get this realization. I thought I'd share it here. If it needs to be moved, that's fine.

What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist. Perhaps it's my admiration for the man, but more likely is his ability to entertain regardless of what he's playing (i.e. playing Smoke on the Water on the uke) or whom with.

I think of it like this. Let's say you have a favorite restaurant. A barbecue rib joint, and you've eaten at this restaurant for over a decade. You know the people who work there, you know their families yada yada yada. Well, one day they tell you they're gonna open a new place. It's just up the street and they want you to try it. The thing is, it's just gonna serve salad and bread. Not a salad bar. You don't get to put a hard boiled egg or bacon on your salad. It's gonna be their side salad and french bread.

The thing is, you don't care that it's not what you're used to because it's coming from the same people that have brought you all those plates of delectable ribs and corn on the cob. Same guy that whipped all that great food is now just chopping up lettuce and slapping on a portion of bleu cheese dressing. And you eat it up.

Ed and the boys have been bringing me big ole slabs of ribs for years but that night. Ed and I had salad and bread in a small room and I friggin loved it.

Suddenly I'm quite hungry.

jezebeloria

I only got to go to Santa Cruz but the way I have described the show to friends and aquaintances(how the fuck do you spell that word?) (and who of course think I am crazy to cross the country for a show!) is simple...I feel priviliged and honored to have been able to attend this show. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. I am hoping that he eventually hits the East Coast.

writersu

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

So, I was sitting in the Wiltern crowd on the 12th and I started to get this realization. I thought I'd share it here. If it needs to be moved, that's fine.

What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist. Perhaps it's my admiration for the man, but more likely is his ability to entertain regardless of what he's playing (i.e. playing Smoke on the Water on the uke) or whom with.

I think of it like this. Let's say you have a favorite restaurant. A barbecue rib joint, and you've eaten at this restaurant for over a decade. You know the people who work there, you know their families yada yada yada. Well, one day they tell you they're gonna open a new place. It's just up the street and they want you to try it. The thing is, it's just gonna serve salad and bread. Not a salad bar. You don't get to put a hard boiled egg or bacon on your salad. It's gonna be their side salad and french bread.

The thing is, you don't care that it's not what you're used to because it's coming from the same people that have brought you all those plates of delectable ribs and corn on the cob. Same guy that whipped all that great food is now just chopping up lettuce and slapping on a portion of bleu cheese dressing. And you eat it up.

Ed and the boys have been bringing me big ole slabs of ribs for years but that night. Ed and I had salad and bread in a small room and I friggin loved it.

did you take those pills you were warned about?

(just kidding--I wish I could see the show, but so far, no good. glad you enjoyed it)

augustwest

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

So would I. But Elton's not in a band. He has a band, seeing him alone with a piano would not shock me.

i dont know about ej not being in a band cause the last time i saw him his geetar player(Davey Johnstone) has been with him for um like forever and his drummer(Nigel Olsson) as well

anyhoo i was just pickin on ya cause of this comment you made "What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist."

regardless im glad you got to get to where you needed to be. i just hope i get to go next

Punk77

First of all.. I doubt that there are any non pearl jam fans at his show. And I'm not shure if he would have made it this far if he had gone solo from the start, without PJ.

That said, Eddie unless many other rock stars, is the 'campfire sing alone' type and we know him that way. (forgive me my expression in english, i dont know how else to say it. You know what i'm saying) It's what makes a PJ show intimate, it makes you think he's our best friend.. and still.. we know little to nothing about his private life. I think it's amazing he can do that.

Corduroyboy

After reading this, I think Eddie should open a BBQ joint.

nfanel

Corduroyboy wrote:

After reading this, I think Eddie should open a BBQ joint.

yeah, i've never heard anyone compared to lettuce and some bleu cheese but that was a good way to sum it up. felt very special to be a part of it and i'm glad i made the trek to go to his shows.

obviously i always had a lot of respect for ed as a performer, but this let us see a different side of him and brought that to a new level.. cool to see how great he was on guitar, the way he could command a room, and how in touch he is with his audience. just an amazing experience.

Corduroyboy

nfanel wrote:

yeah, i've never heard anyone compared to lettuce and some bleu cheese but that was a good way to sum it up. felt very special to be a part of it and i'm glad i made the trek to go to his shows.

obviously i always had a lot of respect for ed as a performer, but this let us see a different side of him and brought that to a new level.. cool to see how great he was on guitar, the way he could command a room, and how in touch he is with his audience. just an amazing experience.

I'm with you there. Got in 2 shows on the tour and found it to be amazing to partake in it. Ed seems to be at a great place with himself, the band, and us fans. I'll take it anyday.

Forget the BBQ joint, how about a Philly Cheesesteak joint instead.

Lizard

Nice one Jogo!!!!

drtyfrnk29

augustwest wrote:

i dont know about ej not being in a band cause the last time i saw him his geetar player(Davey Johnstone) has been with him for um like forever and his drummer(Nigel Olsson) as well

anyhoo i was just pickin on ya cause of this comment you made "What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist."

regardless im glad you got to get to where you needed to be. i just hope i get to go next

And it's not like I want to get in a pissing match with you over semantics because I know he's used that same guitar player for years and years. However, I don't recall, and I'm no expert seeing any of ej's albums saying Elton John...and his band. If he wins an award, he goes up there on his own and accepts it. I understand where you are coming from. But I stand by it, I really have no interest in seeing any other artist try to perform alone in a room.

ACCBootlegGoddess

I think its kinda cool that Ed has embarked on this tour. I'm a little sad that it was only the west coast but since thats where he's based I understand the reasoning behind the dates.
I knew there was no way I could make any of the shows, especially with rumours of east coast shows (at the time of the ticket onsale for this tour), bit I figured the west coast jammers would spread the jam like on a real tour. (since you guys are usually soo good about that kind of thing)
I understand why there are no pictures and very little audio or video out there...but...and I know I'll get flamed but I have to say this...I am very suprised at the lack of relaying and phone calls to friends (not me personally...I don't care either way if I get calls. I just mean in general). I had thought maybe this was due to heavy security but I've been told thats not the case.
At this point in the tour we've established that the sets are pretty close to the same every night...but I would have liked to have had someone relaying the first few shows to share on some of the nice surprised on this tour.
I know people don't want to ruin their concert experience but there are people who have done multiple shows so surely sending a couple of texts here and there isn't that big of an inconvenience...he'll I've relayed a bit at some of my shows in the past.
Oh well...c'est la vie right? We know what he's gonna play now so don't really need it for the last few....just woulda been nice to have had it earlier on is all.
Ok flame on people...just stating an opinion. I still love you all

Murderers.

Nice thoughts.

meistereder

One thing that is interesting for me to see is the enormous difference between what people are saying about the tour, depending on if you got a chance to go or not.

From what I have read from those of us who have been lucky enough to go (I went to Santa Barbara and LA1) is that it has been an amazing experience. Honestly, before the solo tour, I was looking forward to the whole band touring A LOT more. The solo tour was sort of an after thought for me, and I decided to go because I live in CA.

Now, after the two shows, I can say that it was an unbelieveble, unique experience, that I bet 99% of us would have loved to have been part of. The setlists were much better than expected for me. It's apples and oranges. What he has accomplished has been amazing. There is something incredible about seeing the solo performances. The intimacy and the conversations have been fantastic. It has made me happy to realize that if Eddie ever tours again solo, I will be sure to see him again. I agree with the people who have said that the shows have ranked up there with the full band shows. Some people have even said that the shows were their favorite of all. I am not quite there, but suffice it to say that they were unbelievable concerts.

Variety is what it is all about, and now that I have seen these incredible performances, I am ready to see the full band again. I feel like my experience in June will be totally enhanced with what I saw in April.

nfanel

meistereder wrote:

Honestly, before the solo tour, I was looking forward to the whole band touring A LOT more.

i am with you on that. once i had tickets for the full band shows i wasn't as excited about this solo tour. but now if i had to pick between only doing one or the other this year i would pick the solo shows...it was different than anything we've experienced and we don't know if it'll ever happen again. like you said - apples and oranges...but i'm glad i got to be a part of this. (and am also grateful that i don't have to pick and can enjoy both. )

meistereder

nfanel wrote:

i am with you on that. once i had tickets for the full band shows i wasn't as excited about this solo tour. but now if i had to pick between only doing one or the other this year i would pick the solo shows...it was different than anything we've experienced and we don't know if it'll ever happen again. like you said - apples and oranges...but i'm glad i got to be a part of this. (and am also grateful that i don't have to pick and can enjoy both. )

Absolutely. And it is cool that I got the chance to meet people like you.

nfanel

meistereder wrote:

Absolutely. And it is cool that I got the chance to meet people like you.

exactly. another thing that's so great about this band is all of the places i've been to and people i've become friends with that i never would have met otherwise.

augustwest

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

And it's not like I want to get in a pissing match with you over semantics because I know he's used that same guitar player for years and years. However, I don't recall, and I'm no expert seeing any of ej's albums saying Elton John...and his band. If he wins an award, he goes up there on his own and accepts it. I understand where you are coming from. But I stand by it, I really have no interest in seeing any other artist try to perform alone in a room.

no worries...all in fun.

so it's kinda like tom petty and the heartbrakers, then?

i would pay for that

Fatal

I was at both Vancouver shows.

It was such a strange feeling, but after night 2 i was almost a bit depressed....like i had just spent my last few hours with a good friend who i wasn't going to see again for a long time. I have never felt that way after a Pearl Jam show.

I am very happy that i made the cross country trip to see Ed live. These are such special shows.

drtyfrnk29

augustwest wrote:

no worries...all in fun.

so it's kinda like tom petty and the heartbrakers, then?

i would pay for that

Oh man, you have it right there. I totally take that back. I would definitely see Petty in the same setting as I saw Ed.

rob52575

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

So, I was sitting in the Wiltern crowd on the 12th and I started to get this realization. I thought I'd share it here. If it needs to be moved, that's fine.

What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist. Perhaps it's my admiration for the man, but more likely is his ability to entertain regardless of what he's playing (i.e. playing Smoke on the Water on the uke) or whom with.

I think of it like this. Let's say you have a favorite restaurant. A barbecue rib joint, and you've eaten at this restaurant for over a decade. You know the people who work there, you know their families yada yada yada. Well, one day they tell you they're gonna open a new place. It's just up the street and they want you to try it. The thing is, it's just gonna serve salad and bread. Not a salad bar. You don't get to put a hard boiled egg or bacon on your salad. It's gonna be their side salad and french bread.

The thing is, you don't care that it's not what you're used to because it's coming from the same people that have brought you all those plates of delectable ribs and corn on the cob. Same guy that whipped all that great food is now just chopping up lettuce and slapping on a portion of bleu cheese dressing. And you eat it up.

Ed and the boys have been bringing me big ole slabs of ribs for years but that night. Ed and I had salad and bread in a small room and I friggin loved it.

Well stated my friend...
I was there for LA2 and it truly was an amazing two hours! Thanks EV. You are the best!!!!

Corduroyboy

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

Ed and the boys have been bringing me big ole slabs of ribs for years but that night. Ed and I had salad and bread in a small room and I friggin loved it.

This really does have to be the all time quote on the board!! I love it!!

Solat13

After seeing almost 40 shows of the whole band together, it was just a really cool experience to actually see Ed by himself for a few shows. I really don't think I would go see a member of another band solo with the exception of Pete Townsend.

It was just great to actually get to see Ed interact with the crowd for more than a couple of interludes like a normal show. The back and forth was great and the stories and jokes he told were little insights into his world and I'm glad me and those who have been lucky enough to see him solo have had a chance to experience it.

Plus it was also interesting to see how good of a guitar player Ed actually is.

Of course seeing him climb down a rope a foot away from me was also nice.

mcreadyfan

drtyfrnk29 wrote:

So, I was sitting in the Wiltern crowd on the 12th and I started to get this realization. I thought I'd share it here. If it needs to be moved, that's fine.

What I came to realize is that I wouldn't put up with a solo tour by any other artist. Perhaps it's my admiration for the man, but more likely is his ability to entertain regardless of what he's playing (i.e. playing Smoke on the Water on the uke) or whom with.

I think of it like this. Let's say you have a favorite restaurant. A barbecue rib joint, and you've eaten at this restaurant for over a decade. You know the people who work there, you know their families yada yada yada. Well, one day they tell you they're gonna open a new place. It's just up the street and they want you to try it. The thing is, it's just gonna serve salad and bread. Not a salad bar. You don't get to put a hard boiled egg or bacon on your salad. It's gonna be their side salad and french bread.

The thing is, you don't care that it's not what you're used to because it's coming from the same people that have brought you all those plates of delectable ribs and corn on the cob. Same guy that whipped all that great food is now just chopping up lettuce and slapping on a portion of bleu cheese dressing. And you eat it up.

Ed and the boys have been bringing me big ole slabs of ribs for years but that night. Ed and I had salad and bread in a small room and I friggin loved it.

nice post. loved it.