Thoughts from the Pearl Jam Show
May 10, 2010 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
The first time I saw Pearl Jam in concert, it was 1992. They were playing at Michigan State and I was working hospitality for the university, so I got a chance to meet and hang with the band. They were relatively unknown and we had a hard time selling tickets for the show or getting people to come to an autograph signing party.
Last week, I got a chance to see them play again and what a difference 18 years of fame makes. This time, they played to a packed audience of 21,000 in Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. While I didn’t get to hang with the band this time, I was in the 7th row (thanks Kyle) so it seemed like a small show until you looked behind you.
Here are some random thoughts from the show:
The band was ridiculously awesome from a musical perspective. Eddie Vedder’s voice is insane and I couldn’t believe he could keep it up for such a long show. Mike McCready is phenomenal at guitar and makes it seem so effortless.
The light show was spectacular.
I had mixed emotions about the drunk guys in the their 50′s in front of us. First, I was sad for them that they were so wasted and were making fools of themselves. On the other hand, I wanted to punch them in the throat for the inappropriate comments and general disrespect they were showing a couple teenage girls. It made me wonder if they had daughters and what they would feel if old drunk idiots were hitting on them and pretending to grope them.
Speaking of drunks, it was sad to see how much Eddie Vedder drank during the show and how everyone celebrated his drunkenness. Even sadder was the end of the show when he sat on the stage and soaked in all the glory everyone was giving him. It made me think he is searching for something and thinks he has found it in the adulation of the concert goers.
It’s been a long time since I have been to a big show like that and I’m still processing the whole thing. I can’t help but think about how much this whole world needs Jesus, from Eddie to the drunk old guys to the teenage girls they were hitting on.
Tags: pearl jam
