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PEARL JAM SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 CONCERT REVIEW
LIVE IN LOS ANGELES AT THE GIBSON AMPHITHEATER
BY GRUNGEREPORT.NET OWNER BRETT BUCHANAN

Pearl Jam played their first out of four shows last night at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles.  This was my second Pearl Jam show, I previously saw them on July 8, 2006 at the LA Forum during the Avocado Tour.  The 2006 show was okay, the band sounded great, but Tim Robbins coming out was a bit over the top and I wasn’t a big fan of that album.  Tonight’s show was way better.  Eddie Vedder was as charismatic as any frontman in rock history, swinging his microphone around and running around the stage frantically.  The crowd was also awesome and more diverse than the previous Pearl Jam show.  There were two hot 20-year old blond chicks in front of me, not exactly Pearl Jam’s expected demographic.  There were also some teenagers at the show too, including one dude who Eddie Vedder pulled on stage during a song.  The kid freaked out and it was amazing.

Hearing “Tremor Christ” was a pleasant surprise.  The great thing about Pearl Jam is you never know what they’re going to pull out and it makes the shows unpredictable.  When I heard the instantly recognizable guitar riff to “Tremor Christ” I went nuts.  Pearl Jam also played “Force of Nature” off of Backspacer for the very first time which was great, one thing I noticed seeing the Backspacer songs live for the first time is they were tailor made for the live setting.  The crowd ate up every song from Backspacer that was played and that doesn’t usually happen when bands play new material live.  “Just Breathe” got a huge ovation and a lot of people were singing the lyrics, I hope the rumors are true about that being a single off of Backspacer.  “Red Mosquito” was amazing too since I am a No Code lover.  I would have liked to hear “Smile” and “Hail, Hail” too.  Vs. is my favorite Pearl Jam album and I loved hearing “Animal,” “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter,” and “Rats.”  The songs from those album just have

Eddie Vedder referenced his remark from the 2006 LA Pearl Jam show when he pointed to the ceiling and said, “That’s the world’s biggest asshole Dick Cheney.”  He mentioned that this venue was smaller so there was no Dick Cheney’s asshole this time.  Vedder also talked about how a soldier who he has befriended will be heading back overseas with his brigade soon.  Eddie was also chugging wine throughout the show and even took some drinks from the crowd, he was in a good mood.

The highlight for me was the final encore set.  “State of Love and Trust” sounded exactly like it does on the Singles soundtrack.  For that moment in time it was 1992 again and proved that they are a better live act than any other young band out there today.  “Alive” was just epic, it was one of the greatest performances I ever ever seen at a concert.  All 5,000 fans there were singing along to every lyric and the band was just going nuts.  I know some die hards dislike when bands play their biggest hits but with Pearl Jam playing “Alive” is a must and it did not disappoint tonight.  I saw a post on Pearl Jam’s message board comparing seeing them to a religious experience, and during “Alive” I can definitely understand that.  It felt like more than just another rock concert.  It was just an amazing moment, the crowd was electric.  Pearl Jam’s cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” was an amazing closer.  Eddie Vedder was interacting with the crowd a lot during this song throwing things into the crowd and just looking like he was having an amazing time.  I was sad that the show ended, it felt like the start of a hangover when it was over.  The band may not have played 3 hours but holy shit did they rock while they were out there, not one dull moment.  Mike McCready was especially on tonight.  A little bit off topic but it was fun being able to talk to some fellow Grunge lovers at the show.  I had a spirited debate with a Kurt Cobain was murdered believer that was a lot of fun.  But overall, this was one of the best concerts I have ever been too.  Pearl Jam really brought it last night.  I would say it’s tied with the June 24, 2008 Stone Temple Pilots show I attended at the Hollywood Bowl as my favorite concert.  Also Ben Harper was awesome, that guy is super talented.  I love the way he plays the guitar, holding it differently.  It was awesome to see him come out for “Red Mosquito.”  Here is the set list and a photo of the exclusive September 30th LA show poster that I bought.

Set List: Why Go, Animal, World Wide Suicide, Got Some, Tremor Christ, Force Of Nature, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Unthought Known, Even Flow, Amongst The Waves, Insignificance, Rats, Present Tense, Big Wave, Down, The Fixer, Porch

1st encore: Just Breathe w/string quartet, The End w/string quartet, Red Mosquito w/Ben Harper, Black, Life Wasted

2nd encore: State Of Love And Trust, Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World (Young)