By: David Schultz

In late November of 1991, Pearl Jam, on the cusp of becoming one of the world's most popular bands, used an off-night from their run at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, where they were opening for Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to come to the modestly-sized Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Pearl Jam's revelatory debut album, Ten, had recently been released and their first single "Alive" had just broke onto MTV. Playing to mostly University of Michigan students, the couple hundred people in attendance knew that Pearl Jam would quickly be going on to larger venues and extraordinary heights. Confirming all expectations, the young grunge-rock quintet blew the figurative doors off of the venerable college-town blues club. Even though Eddie Vedder shyly hid behind a mane of hair that nearly obscured his face, he gave urgency to then-new songs like "Even Flow" and "Once." Stone Gossard and Mike McCready hardly moved an inch; with visages of stern concentration, they belted out one soon-to-be famous guitar riff after another. All the while, the awestruck audience passed beers up to the band while soaking everything in with self-congratulatory glee.

Since that night: Pearl Jam followed up Ten with many more critically acclaimed albums; flirted with "best band in the world" status; fought a nasty battle with corporate giant Ticketmaster and sidestepped a potential slide into irrelevance. In 1991, eager to shed the unavoidable "another Seattle grunge band" label, Pearl Jam had everything to prove to the world, wrapping themselves up within the mantra of "five against one."

Fifteen years later, the Pearl Jam that came to New Jersey's Continental Airlines Arena for a pair of shows concluding the first leg of the American tour unsurprisingly bore little resemblance to the one that took the stage years ago in Ann Arbor. Eddie Vedder displayed not one iota of the stage fright that seemed to beset him in the early days of the band, perfectly comfortable fronting the band while playing an energetic rhythm guitar. The once stoic McCready now walks circles around stage-left with a near obsessive-compulsive fervor, tossing the guitar behind his head to play his "Even Flow" guitar solo. Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament roamed the stage, exhibiting a level of comfort and excitement developed over the years. Drummer Matt Cameron, well, in 1991, he was playing with Soundgarden. One thing hasn't changed though; they still can't dance.

Pearl Jam's ability to instantly connect with their audience also hasn't changed. The band's empathy with their fans has been a motivating factor behind many of the band’s public fights, especially their nasty spat with Ticketmaster. Their history of dealing honestly and forthrightly with their fans has created a bond similar to that fostered by the Grateful Dead and their loyal followers. On their first night in New Jersey, Vedder continued a dialogue with the audience that he started with the Garden Staters a couple years ago. Pointing out that a large portion of the crowd booed their performance of the anti-Dubya song "Bushleaguer" on their last show there, Vedder asked if the song would get a similar reaction were they to play it now. Based on the reaction of the Continental Airlines Arena crowd, the politics of the song might have found a more accepting audience this time around. Vedder also noted that the last time they were in town, he saw a sign that said, "Play 'Leatherman,' you pussies." While it may not have been the most traditional form of requesting a song, it did get them to play an impassioned version of the tune.

Vedder still has the shamanistic, charismatic stage persona that has served him well over the years. Numerous songs from Ten worked their way into the set list but the passion and zeal with which Vedder once sang those songs has been transferred to newer songs like "World Wide Suicide" and "Life Wasted." Vedder's excitement can often get the better of him; at the close of the first encore, Vedder misjudged his leap concluding "Alive," taking a nasty spill onto his hip that caused him to limp offstage. In the second encore, Vedder once again went to ground, misjudging the sturdiness of one of the monitors fronting the stage and landing on his butt during the second verse of "Baba O'Riley," their lone cover of the evening. Vedder's recklessness is emblematic of the band's desire to put their all into their performance. After all, who can't get into a show where the lead singer consistently threatens to injure himself in his effort to entertain?

Even though the set list changes nightly, Pearl Jam consistently dips into their back catalogue, mixing in beloved classics with those from their recently released self-titled album. Even though the songs may differ, Pearl Jam always offers something special each night. On Thursday night, they performed the first three songs the band wrote when Vedder joined the band after Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood died of a heroin overdose. Playing the trilogy in reverse order as they came out of the extended acoustic set that kicked off the first encore, Pearl Jam ran through "Footsteps," "Once" and "Alive." Although Vedder announced that they were the first three songs they wrote together, he never commented on the thematic connection running through them. Like most things Pearl Jam, it worked on different levels. Those unaware enjoyed the songs on their merit; those in the know were given a small gift from a band that seems to enjoy giving such things to their fans.

Labels: Pearl Jam