TV Rock - Pearl Jam and Drive By Truckers

In case you missed them, here are recent performances by Pearl Jam on last weekend's SNL performing "Just Breathe" and "Unthought Known"and the Drive By Truckers on Letterman performing "This Fucking Job".

Live Review: Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam
GM Place
Vancouver, Canada
9.25.09


When we missed the Ten Club onsale dates for the San Diego and Los Angeles shows we were faced with the grim reality of catching Pearl Jam at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park. That doesn't really sound that bad until you consider tickets were about $100 a piece and that we would literally have to camp out in front of the stage all day to guarantee a decent spot and catch a glimpse of the band without the aid of the Hubble telescope.

No way. Fuck that.

We haven't logged 12+ years in Pearl Jam's fan club to pee in plastic cups while we endure 7 other bands, drugged out tweeners unable to handle their acid, and maintain our spot in the crowd all day. We did what any other self-respecting Public Health Care Option and PJ fan would do - we went to Canada.

What a glorious decision that turned out to be. Not only did we have a great opportunity to check out the amazing city of Vancouver, we caught one of the better PJ shows we've seen in years.

When the band starts the show with the polyrhythmic rumble of "In My Tree" from 1996's No Code, you know the night is going to be special. Touring in support of their recently released album Backspacer, Pearl Jam left it all on the stage Friday night in Vancouver, erasing any doubts the band was operating in some creative cruise control silo.

Instead, the band hit the ground running - blasting through rockers like "Save You", "Severed Hand", "The Fixer" and "Johnny Guitar" before coming up for air and greeting the rabid Canucks who had packed the GM Place, aka "The Garage". Eddie and the boys quickly acknowledged that it was indeed a Friday night show before lifting the crowd with the soaring "Given to Fly" and then speeding through the Yield album classic "MFC".

With an insane catalog of music to choose from, Pearl Jam kept everyone on their toes playing rarities like "Sad" from the b-sides Lost Dogs album, to the almost never played "No Way" off Yield. Eddie Vedder took time to dedicate the Binaural era "Light Years" to Canadian Terry Fox and his inspirational story, getting a huge roar of approval from Vancouver.

To explain the amount of energy these guys gave to the performance Friday night , you would think we're descrbing some band of 20 year olds jacked up on youth, a couple cases of beer and pure adrenaline. Guitarist Mike McCready bounced, ran, and pumped up the crowd all night between guiar solos. Bassist Jeff Ament and Vedder flew through the air like the skate/surf rats they are, and for the first time in fucking ages, guitarist Stone Gossard criss crossed the stage and head banged like it was 91 all over again.

More aural goodies continued through the night - "I Got Shit", "Breath", "State of Love & Trust" and "Grievance" balanced out by some PJ classics including "Alive", "Even Flow" and "Rearviewmirror".

The band did a masterful job of working the crowd. Early on, Vedder told the audience that the Seattle crowd a couple nights prior "sucked", lathering up fans into a fermented fury that wouldn't leave the rest of the night. Their lighting rig and backdrop were also lowered so the back third of the arena could sit right over the band behind the stage.

And the new songs? Better than how they sound on record. "Got Some" remains a choice song with just a great pummeling start/stop dynamic that sways harder and rocks harder live. "Unthought Known", "The Fixer", and "Johnny Guitar" all escape the 80s rock sheen production sound of Backspacer in the live setting with the amps maxed out and the Matt Cameron Train thundering away.

As a live band, Pearl Jam is firing right now. The band brought out opener/friend Ben Harper to sing with Vedder on "Indifference"creating another show highlight and then drove it home with "Betterman" and "Yellow Ledbetter". The image of guitarist Mike McCready just sitting out on the edge of the PA wailing away on "Ledbetter", looking like he didn't want to ever leave was a polaroid moment and a testment to the energy Vancouver brought to the show.

Great show. Great town. Permanent memories from this trip.

Catch 'em if you can.

September 25, 2009 Vancouver, BC, GM Place

Set List: In My Tree, Save You, The Fixer, Severed Hand, Johnny Guitar, Given To Fly, MFC, Even Flow, Amongst The Waves, Sad, Unthought Known, Light Years, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Grievance, No Way, Got Some, Rearviewmirror

1st encore: I Got Shit, Love, Reign O'er Me, Breath, State Of Love And Trust, Alive

2nd encore: Last Kiss, Indifference w/ Ben Harper, Wasted Reprise, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Yellow Ledbetter


Photos liberated from PearlJam.com

Pearl Jam - Backspacer Promo Video

Hmmmmmm....

Pearl Jam - Backspacer Short

Pearl Jam Kick Off Tour, Announce More Shows

Pearl Jam kicked off their tour this past Saturday at Calgary's V-Fest in advance of their upcoming album Backspacer. The band played two songs from the new album - "Got Some" and "The Fixer". Setlist looks like a good one. They'll play more off the new album once it comes out. Memo to the band: put Yellow Ledbetter to pasture.

Why Go
All Night
Dissident
The Fixer
Got Some
Severed Hand
Sad
Unemployable
Even Flow
Rats
Save You
Given to Fly
Daughter
Down
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town
Do the Evolution
Alive

-encore-

Betterman
Brother
Black
Spin the Black Circle

-encore 2-

Crazy Mary
The Real me
Yellow Ledbetter



Here's a video of "The Fiver". It sucks less live...

New Music: Pearl Jam's "The Fixer"

Pearl Jam have released the 1st official single, "The Fixer" from their upcoming album Backspacer. The band teased the single recently during a baseball telecast and allegedly has filmed an upcoming Target advertisement promoting the new album using the song.

While we here at HF never like to rush to judgement, our ears are not exactly telling our brains to spin this tune over and over again. Perhaps it's the low quality, compressed sound of the youtube clip, maybe it's just that song isn't that great. Personally, we prefer the punkish "Got Some"- the other new song the band performed on the Tonight Show last month.

Either way - form your own opinion and listen to the clip below.

A New Song If You Need It

Damn, has it really been two weeks since the last post? It happens sometimes. Don't hate us.

Lets kick things back into gear with Pearl Jam performing on the first night of Conan O'Brien hosting The Tonight Show. The song is from their forthcoming album, allegedly titled Backspacer.

Outside Lands Announces Initial Festival Lineup

Nice diverse lineup for the festival in Golden Gate Park, August 28-30th. So who has $300 to blow on tickets?

Outside Lands Festival

Pearl Jam
Dave Matthews Band
Beastie Boys
Incubus
Black Eyed Peas
M.I.A
Jason Mraz
Ween
The Mars Volta
Thievery Corporation
Modest Mouse
Band of Horses
TV on the Radio
Dead Weather
Atmosphere
Tom Jones
Silversun Pickups
The National
Q-Tip
Brett Dennen
Built To Spill
Mastodon
Raphael Saadiq
Calexico
Os Mutantes
Midnite
JJ Grey

Mofro
Kinky
Deerhunter
Lila Downs
Trombone Shorty

Orleans Avenue
The Dodos
Bettye LaVette
Dengue Fever
Heartless Bastards
The Dirtbombs
Lenka
Akron/Family
John Vanderslice
Matt and Kim
Portugal. The Man
The Morning Benders
The Duke Spirit
Zee Avi
Blind Pilot
SambaDa
Ryan Bingham
West Indian Girl
Extra Golden

Music News

Blur to Reunite for Summer Gig

According to British music rag NME, the original members of Blur - Alex James, Graham Coxon, Dave Rowntree and Damon Albarn will reunite to play a summer gig in Hyde Park on July 3, 2009. The band made no mention of recording a new album and instead focused on the upcoming gigs.

Woo Hoo!...sorry had to do it.

Pearl Jam to Release Anniversary Editions of Debut Album

As Pearl Jam approaches it's 20 year anniversary, the group is preparing to release deluxe reissue editions of their debut album Ten.

The band's website: pearljam.com is currently offering a presale for club members. Among the goodies in the various versions of the reissue include:

- Remaster of original Ten album + remix by producer Brendan O'Brien

- DVD of previously unreleased 1992 Pearl Jam MTV Unplugged performance with 5.1 surround sound audio remix

- LP of the band's 1992 "Drop in the Park" concert

- Replica of Pearl Jam three-song demo cassette with Eddie Vedder's original vocal dubs

- Recreation of Eddie Vedder composition notebook

- Never before seen memorabilia Bonus tracks and more.

Ten Reissue Press Release:

All four editions will be available for purchase on March 24, 2009. The reissue of Ten serves as the launch of a planned two-year catalogue re-release campaign leading up to the band's 20th anniversary in 2011.

Each Ten package will include two versions of the album: the remastered version of the original album PLUS an accompanying remixed version done by the band's long-time producer, Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Audioslave).

"The band loved the original mix of Ten, but were also interested in what it would sound like if I were to deconstruct and remix it," says producer Brendan O'Brien. "The original Ten sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that. After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original - giving a fresh take on it, a more direct sound."

TEN Cover RE-DESIGN

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, who served as the art director for the original Ten packaging, reprised his role for the reissues collaborating with designer, Andy Fischer, of Cameron Crowe's Vinyl Films (Into the Wild soundtrack LP, Vanilla Sky soundtrack LP, Harold and Maude anniversary edition soundtrack LP).

"The goal was to assemble the ultimate fan-piece," explains Fischer. "Something Pearl Jam lovers could pore over as they experience an indelible record all over again, in an entirely new way."
"The original concept was about really being together as a group and entering into the world of music as a true band...a sort of all-for-one deal," says Jeff Ament. "There were some elements of the original Ten artwork that didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to time constraints. With this reissue, we've been able to take our time and invest resources into making the design the way we had originally intended."

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Announce Tour

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit announce their first tour in support of their new self-titled album (Release date: February 17, 2009 on Lightning Rod Records). Presented by Paste Magazine, the tour will begin in Birmingham, AL on February 12 and continue through the band's mid-March SXSW showcase in Austin, TX. Benji Hughes, Deer Tick, and Sons of Roswell will support select dates.

You can pre-order tix until Dec 19th here.

Tour Dates:
Feb 12 - Birmingham, AL Workplay
Feb 14 - Florence, AL Shoals Theater
Feb 17 - Athens, GA Georgia Theater
Feb 18 - Atlanta, GA The Earl
Feb 20 - Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theater
Feb 22 - Harrisonburg, VA The Pub
Feb 24 - Boston, MA - TT the Bears
Feb 26 - New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Feb 27 - Philadelphia, PA World Cafe' Live
Feb 28 - Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
Mar 1 - Washington DC 9:30 Club
Mar -2 - Cleveland, OH Beachl and Ballroom
Mar 4 - Toronto, ONT Horseshow Tavern
Mar 5 - Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
Mar 6 - Columbus, OH The Rumba Cafe'
Mar 7 - Cincinnati, OH Southgate House
Mar 8 - Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Mar 13 - Louisville, KY Headliner's
Mar 14 - Nashville, TN The Mercy Lounge
Mar 18 - 22 Austin, TX, SWSW

Video Fun: Love Reign O'er Me/Real Me

Check out Pearl Jam's fiery performance at VH1's Rock Honors: The Who.

Bootleg Of The Month: Pearl Jam at Bonnaroo

One actual positive benefit of the internet and contemporary technology is the sharing of live music recordings. A music fan can determine if their favorite band actually doesn't suck live, collect an audio memento of a show they attended or just obsessively collect shows of their favorite bands.

We can't tell you how many times we've been turned on to new artists from listening to and trading live shows. Plus, it's awesome to listen to band's fuck up, hear a group of wasted people sing off key and clap out of time near the microphones recording the show, and remember what it was like to be at that show a few weeks ago.

This month, HF recommends Pearl Jam live a Bonnaroo.

With no new album to support and making their first appearance at the festival, PJ dug deep into their catalog, playing rarities like set opener "Hard to Imagine", "Who You Are" and the never-performed-live-before-this-tour "All Night". A cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" brings the set to a roaring finale.

Download the show here at Etree.org



Pearl Jam
Bonnaroo Music Festival
Manchester,TN
6/14/08

Main Set

Hard To Imagine
Corduroy
All Night
Why Go
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
Down
Who You Are
Severed Hand
1/2 Full
Animal
Even Flow
Daughter
Gone
Love Reign O'er Me
Do The Evolution
Rearviewmirror

Encore 1

W.M.A.
Better Man(Save it for Later)
Black
Life Wasted
Crazy Mary
Porch

Encore 2
No More
Release
Alive

Encore 3
All Along The Watchtower