Wow. Almost a full year from the original concert date that was rescheduled due to sickness, Pearl Jam finally returned to Indiana for the first time since 2010. Their long-anticipated return was obvious from the massive, sold-out crowd packed into Ruoff Music Center on one of the hottest days of the summer, which happened to be a work day for most people.
It’s not what you’re given, but what you do with it.
Glen Hansard is a folk rock singer who is no stranger to touring and performing with both Eddie Vedder solo and Pearl Jam. He joined them for this leg of the Dark Matter world tour, and I feel lucky to have experienced him live. He is one hell of a songwriter. I will admit I was only somewhat familiar with him prior to opening for Pearl Jam, and now I’m angry with myself for that. He brought a sense of serenity to the surrounding chaos with his haunting voice that felt like home. His set was comprised halfway of songs from his newest solo album and older releases from his previous groups. His performance felt very intimate, uplifting, energetic, and emotional. This opening set felt like a sample of gourmet food I didn’t know existed, but will now add to my regular dinner rotation. I would love to see a full concert after that.
I’ll give you what you’re not supposed to have.
Pearl Jam is known for putting on an impressive, high-energy show, and this one lived up to that expectation. The production quality was top notch, with lighting and visuals appropriately aligned with each song and everything in between, not to mention the band sounded incredible. Even without the flashiness of the visuals, it still would have been an excellent show. This show felt like a gift honestly. Do they even know how good they are? They really put some thought into all the intricate details to give the fans from the front to the very back the best experience possible. It was seamless.
This performance was actually one day short of the 33rd anniversary of the release of Ten, so they’ve had quite some time to master the art of working together as one unit. Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McCready (lead guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), and Jeff Ament (bass) are the original founding members. Matt Cameron (drums) joined later on in 1998, coming from Soundgarden, but it feels like he’s been in the band since its inception. Josh Klinghoffer and Boom Gaspar are wonderful additions supporting them on this tour as well, both very talented musicians. And if anyone else watches as many live performances of Pearl Jam on YouTube as I do, they found their familiar faces to be a pleasant experience. Okay, so they are my favorite band, but this was my first time seeing them live.
Eddie’s vocals are still impressively strong 30+ years later, and his energy during concerts rivals that of someone half his age. He may not be climbing rafters anymore, but he still knows how to rock. His raw emotion shines through on every song he sings. It’s amazing really. My personal favorite song he sang was “Black” where he reminded me why I fell in love with his voice. He really knows how to connect you to the music.
Mike, Stone, Jeff, and Matt made being in a band look so effortless with their chemistry. They did not miss a beat. As mentioned before, they’ve mastered what it takes to blend together as a team. Mike stood out with his incredible solo during “Even Flow” where he held the guitar up and behind his head. His solos are generally pretty spectacular, but witnessing that kind of mastery in person was awe-inspiring.
Makes much more sense to live in the present tense.
Eddie connected with the audience by playing personal requests from fans as well as staying up-to-date with current events, name-dropping Caitlin Clark. And Jeff wore a Larry Bird shirt, which I appreciated. One of the fan requests was from a younger kid asking them to play “Present Tense” because he would be allowed to say the F word if they played it. They played “Lightning Bolt” at the request of a couple who was attending their 57th show, with Eddie joking that you get a request at every 57th show. Earlier in the night he shouted out a wedding anniversary before commenting that Stone and Jeff have been playing together almost as long. In fact, I’m pretty positive he said it was a 57th wedding anniversary (same couple?) and joking that “pardon his language” it takes “some pretty good f-ing” to last that long.
Eddie reminded everyone who Pearl Jam is during the interlude on “Daughter” when he reminisced how they encouraged all the young people to vote 33 years ago and how, now, 33 years later they are still asking and encouraging the fans, including their kids, to vote, especially young women. After that pep talk, they went into a little clip from Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” but with updated lyrics to remind us of their pro-choice stance (“keep your hands off my body, the choice I’m making is my own”). If anyone who attended the show was surprised or offended by that, they clearly aren’t familiar with Pearl Jam.
Eddie also became emotional before a duet with Glen Hansard when dedicating Glen’s “Song of Good Hope” to a fan who is battling cancer, further illustrating his deep connection with fans. They harmonized perfectly, with their powerful vocals bringing raw emotion to the performance.
The waiting drove me mad.
This concert was much anticipated for me, but it was worth the wait. Pearl Jam delivered an amazing experience, playing a perfect mix of new and old songs. In fact, I’ve been pretty speechless about it while trying to recover from my awe and shock at finally seeing them live. It made the overpriced venue markups on food and drink worth it. And truthfully, the ease of parking, getting through security, and buying Pearl Jam merchandise made spending $26 on one beer (including the tip) hurt a little bit less.
Setlist:
- Wash
- Nothingman
- Present Tense
- Last Exit
- Spin the Black Circle
- Not for You
- Scared of Fear
- React, Respond
- Wreckage
- Daughter
- Even Flow
- Dark Matter
- Upper Hand
- Black
- Do the Evolution
- Running
- Porch
Encore
- Song of Good Hope [w/ Glen Hansard]
- Lightning Bolt
- Corduroy
- Setting Sun
- Alive
- Baba O’Riley [‘The Who’ Cover]
- Yellow Ledbetter