Pearl Jam are Gratefully Dead
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The secret recipe is revealed.
Thirty years in, Pearl Jam is the only one of those bands still standing, and while the commercial heights of “Ten” are far in the rearview, the group remains one of the most in-demand live acts in the world — its last pre-COVID concerts in the U.S. drew 88,000 to Seattle’s Safeco Field, 83,000 to Chicago’s Wrigley Field and another 72,000 to Boston’s Fenway Park in 2018.
The question, then, is how did Pearl Jam turn that corner, when none of its contemporaries could? One explanation comes in the form of an unlikely role model: the Grateful Dead. Although the two acts have little to nothing in common musically, they share a fierce dedication to cultivating a unique and special relationship with their fans, who travel the globe to experience shows that are never the same from night to night. That “you have to be there” spirit has elevated Pearl Jam’s music far beyond its studio origins and into a place its band members admit they never could have expected it to go.
“I’m almost certain people have come to our shows, and the crowd has gone nuts, and they look to the super-fan to their left to ask what’s going on, and they’ll say, they’ve only played that song six times ever — that’s just amazing to me,” Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament tells Variety. Ament experienced that magic himself when he saw the Dead for the first time in Las Vegas in May 1993, just days after Pearl Jam wrapped sessions for its second album, “Vs.”
As Ament recalls: “I went to those shows with a guy who worked with our trucking company. I wasn’t that familiar with the Dead at all, and a few times each night, the audience just erupted. He’d turn to me and say, oh, they haven’t played this song since 1971. It was incredible. It felt like the whole stadium knew they hadn’t played it since 1971. I thought, that’s what you want. That’s the crowd that any real, living, breathing band wants, because they’re going to push you into some places that keep you alive. Maybe it wasn’t the best version of that song, but it was the highlight of the day for a good chunk of that crowd.”
Pearl Jam’s Secret to 30 Years of Success? Follow the Grateful Dead Playbook https://us.yahoo.com/entertainment/pearl-jam-secret-30-years-135011266.html
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
They have burnt the house
They have burnt the house down ever time I have seen them.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Frank3
great link, Thanks !
great link, Thanks !
ive seen them 7 times and its each 1 was amazing
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
What is amazing to me is that
What is amazing to me is that more bands haven't figured this out.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Richard Cranium
I used to feel that way about
I used to feel that way about PJ, but they haven't put out any new material worth listening to in over 10 years.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ...
The floor of the one Pearl
The floor of the one Pearl Jam show I went to was like an undulating ameba.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
Undulate, a Reebok, a Reebok
Undulate, undulate, a Reebok, a Reebok
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: .44 Smokeless
>>> ...Ament experienced that
>>> ...Ament experienced that magic himself when he saw the Dead for the first time in Las Vegas in May 1993...and a few times each night, the audience just erupted. He’d turn to me and say, oh, they haven’t played this song since 1971. It was incredible. It felt like the whole stadium knew they hadn’t played it since 1971.
Kudos to the guy from the "trucking company" (pun not intended?) who viciously pulled Ament's leg with this "haven't played this song since 1971" bullshit!
No doubt that Ament's experience was real for him and has obviously colored the way he looks at his own band's relationship with it's fanbase - but the premise is 100% bullshit.
The 1993 GD Vegas run featured absolutely ZERO break outs of note - and certainly nothing approaching "last played 1971" nonsense.
According to Jerrybase.com the appearance of Help/Slip/Frank in the 2nd set on Sunday was the only 'notable' setlist oddity as it hadn't been played in Set 2 since 1991.
"Haven't played since 1971!" -- sounds much more interesting than the reality of:
-- the 7th Here Comes Sunshine since 1974
-- the 7th ever performance of I Fought the Law
-- the 3rd ever performance of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Kudos to the trucking company man hauling some Grade-A bullshit though - excellent troll move!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
Ignorant bullshit spouted
Ignorant bullshit spouted during a GD show? It was known to happen.
It's a Chuck Berry song! (during Wang Dang Doodle)
This is "Stumblin' Far! (during Bucket) Pretty sure those two were the same run; maybe the same night. I'd have to check the '82 MSG setlists.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
Seen them a couple of times
Seen them a couple of times and didn't enjoy either show.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
I've seen them numerous times
I've seen them numerous times over the years, and while I enjoy their shows I'm another who doesn't quiet get the devotion that so many have for them. I chalk it up to me missing something, but they do put on a good rock show.
And there is no question that they have a real & thoughtful attitude toward their fans. Every band/artist talks the talk about that stuff but not all of them follow through, even if it's just little stuff like taking the time to get out of a bus to sign autographs or shake some hands.
Metallica is another band that looks out for their fanbase, and also has lasted a very long time.
And that's a funny story about being confused by random reactions from fans at a 1st Grateful Dead show. That happened to me repeatedly at my first GD show, especially when they went into Mojo after drums.
For about the third time that night I asked my friend if there was something special going on and he told me they don't play that one often. Driving home that night I said that all all through the show I felt like I was in the shallow end of a very deep pool. That was the first time I ever thought of and used that metaphorical phrase, one that's become a favorite that I have used very often all the years since.
The things that happen at a Grateful Dead show.