Vintage show review - September 26, 1991 Town Pump Vancouver, BC

halv

https://www.straight.com/music/29-years-ago-today-pearl-jam-plays-town-pump-eddie-vedder-avoids-impaling-himself-on-a-cymbal
Would love to have been there. 

Remember concerts?

Twenty-nine years ago today--on September 26, 1991--Pearl Jam played the Town Pump in Gastown. That was less than a month after the release of its debut album, Ten, which went on to sell 13-million copies in the U.S. alone. Maybe you were there? To jog your memory, here's my review, which was originally published in the October 3, 1991, issue of the Georgia Straight:

I’d been warned by someone who caught Pearl Jam’s sound check at the Town Pump last Thursday afternoon (September 26) that the Seattle band was extremely loud. My second clue, upon entering the busy club around midnight, was the abundance of black leather and tattoos among the beer-guzzling patrons. These weren’t your typical new-age followers. And the blonde lady with the sign of the Antichrist tattooed on her temple wasn’t there to see Peter, Paul & Mary.

My hearing-safety concerns were justified when the band hit the stage and launched into “Once”, the raunchy opening track from its debut album, Ten. Drummer Dave Krusen’s cymbal smashes were shrill enough to kill small rodents, and I kept my distance, leaning against a wall at the far end of the bar. Then one of the show’s promoters came up and remarked that a body can’t really review a concert from that far away.

So instead of telling him where he could review it from, I risked a closer look.

By this time the technicians had worked out most of the painfully loud bugs, and the band sounded fine from my new vantage point, which also afforded an excellent view of singer Eddie Vedder’s spontaneous antics. During one of Ten’s best tunes, “Alive”, he hoisted himself up on the ledge that runs behind the stage and dangled precariously from the light fixtures over Krusen’s drum kit before leaping safely down. I was thankful he’s a good jumper, or he might have had to write a tune called “Alive…With a Cymbal Stand Up My Butt”.

 

Vedder—who made the bright move of trading in his U2 t-shirt for a Pigface one part-way through the set—led Pearl Jam through a thrilling set of alternative-flavoured hard-rock tunes that ended with a severe version of the Beatles’ “I’ve Got a Feeling”. From the sound of things, this act—which features two former members of the ill-fated Mother Love Bone—has what it takes to follow fellow Seattlers Alice in Chains right up the charts…and maybe even whip right past ’em!

mcgruff10

Very cool review!  Thanks for sharing. 

RatherStarved

Yeah.  Maybe they’ll make it big one day

RS65573

Very cool thank you.

NM70698

Great little read. 

Zod

I love reading about old shows from my neck of the woods.   If I ever got a time machine I'd go back to Harpo's in Victoria and see one of the shows they played there (with AIC no less).  

Loujoe

Wow must have been a fantastic show!  Lucky I caught mike watt at tramps with foo fighters and ev. Plus a small pile of others before bands hit it big. Soundgarden at City Gardens. Yes Pigface (like ed's aforementioned  wardrobe change) there too. Kind of remember it as bad industrial music! Faith no more. Black Crowes at cbgb (soo loud I couldnt hear it) but was cool to be part of a show like that. I tend to think about all the shows I missed, but my resume is fat with great small shows.  Got my memories to tide me over.

GlowGirl

Loujoe said:

Wow must have been a fantastic show!  Lucky I caught mike watt at tramps with foo fighters and ev. Plus a small pile of others before bands hit it big. Soundgarden at City Gardens. Yes Pigface (like ed's aforementioned  wardrobe change) there too. Kind of remember it as bad industrial music! Faith no more. Black Crowes at cbgb (soo loud I couldnt hear it) but was cool to be part of a show like that. I tend to think about all the shows I missed, but my resume is fat with great small shows.  Got my memories to tide me over.

 I saw Mike Watt with the Foo Fighters and EV at the old Black Cat in DC. It was a great show. I got right up in front of the stage, and got to talk to Dave Grohl after since he was just walking around the club. Also, great to see Pat Smear play.

Loujoe

Yes^^pat smear had the price tag hanging off his guitar. What a great show, not knowing who the foo fighters were yet. Nice part of history and the only time I saw the ff.

DJ253147

My wife showed me your review from her Facebook yesterday. Thank you for posting, that is awesome! We’re from Greater Vancouver and we saw Rank and File at The Town Pump in 1986 and the thing I recall most is what a SMALL venue! Must have been incredible to have the early PJ blister the stage.


Give yourself a big pat on the back for the prophetic comments about the strong possibility of a very bright future for the band.