The presentation took place last Wednesday, the 28th
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of attending the first day of the solo concert series that the Pearl Jam vocalist is doing in São Paulo. Right at the entrance of a sold-out Citibank Hall, the security guard already announced: The use of cell phones will be prohibited during the show. Seriously? Will the audience obey?
Upon taking my assigned seat, I noticed several security guards scattered around the venue, precisely to prevent the show from being photographed or filmed. And it worked! The opening act was Irishman Glen Hansard, a familiar face to Brazilian audiences and a longtime friend of Eddie Vedder. Glen was the guitarist for the band The Commitments in the wonderful film directed by Alan Parker and released in 1991. A few years ago, he starred in the excellent independent film ONCE , playing himself and singing his incredible songs. He ended up forming the band/duo The Swell Season with the other protagonist of the film, singer and pianist Marketa Irglova. The two came to Brazil in 2010; I remember they put on a sensational show.
Eddie Vedder enters the stage and the audience goes wild, with shouts of song requests and messages (how annoying!), but Eddie doesn't seem to mind. He starts the show with the new song "Share The Light," the only one he plays on the piano, then sits on his stool where he spends most of the show alternating between guitars, acoustic guitars, 12-string guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, and sips from a bottle of wine.
Eddie exudes charm, attempts to read long sentences in Portuguese, jokes with the audience, calls a fan onto the stage, hands out guitar picks, plays some covers, some Pearl Jam songs, and some from his two solo albums. He remembers the heroes and friends he lost in recent years and reminds them that they are all together, in spirit, at that moment: "Spirits get in for free," he jokes.
One of the most moving moments is when he performs a cover of one of his heroes, Tom Petty's, "Wildflowers," saying, "I still can't believe he's gone ." Then he plays a Johnny Cash-esque version of "Hurt," and reminds viewers that the composer of that song (Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails) is still alive and well.
The impression is that Eddie Vedder is getting better and better, singing and playing more and more, and his interpretation and voice exude emotion. Every now and then he makes a mistake, and laughs, sending the audience into a frenzy. No less moving is when he plays John Lennon's "Imagine," at which point he allows everyone to raise and turn on their cell phone flashlights. U2's "Bad" also sounded beautiful in his voice. His version of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" is also moving; a clear message to the US president, Donald Trump.
The show ends with a jam session with his friend Glen Hansard, whom he introduces as one of his best friends and one of the most talented artists of today—all true. The two sing the wonderful “Sleepless Nights” by the Everly Brothers, without microphones or amplifiers; it's breathtaking. For the final song, the hit from the Into The Wild , “Hard Sun,” the lights come on, everyone stands up, and it seems that at that moment, using your cell phone to take photos and videos is perfectly acceptable.
The show was fantastic, but the best part was being able to see a performance without cell phones getting in the way, without that annoying little light flashing in our faces when we're trying to concentrate on the artist (and what an artist!). It's amazing how this changes our perception of the performance. All concerts in the world should be like this, without cell phones ( Jack White is trying ). It's much better to keep these moments in our memories than in cheesy videos. It's okay to take a picture at some point to keep as a souvenir, no problem, but please don't overdo it (selfies with the artist in the background are ridiculous, thankfully I didn't see anyone making that mistake).
This made the show much lighter and more enjoyable, and people really paid attention to what mattered: the music.
Setlist Eddie Vedder at Citibank Hall (03/28)
1. Share the Light
2. Walking the Cow (Daniel Johnston cover)
3. Long Road (Pearl Jam)
4. Brain Damage (Pink Floyd cover)
5. Keep Me in Your Heart (Warren Zevon cover)
6. I Am Mine (Pearl Jam)
7. Wildflowers (Tom Petty cover)
8. Just Breathe (Pearl Jam)
9. Sometimes (Pearl Jam)
10. Without You
11. Far Behind
12. Guaranteed
13. Millworker (James Taylor cover)
14. Rise
15. Hurt (Nine Inch Nails cover)
16. Wishlist (Pearl Jam)
17. Light Years (Pearl Jam)
18. Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams cover)
19. Bad (U2 cover)
20. Immortality (Pearl Jam)
21. Masters of War (Bob Dylan cover)
22. Imagine (John Lennon cover)
23. Porch (Pearl Jam)
BIS:
24. Sleepless Nights (The Everly Brothers cover) (with Glen Hansard)
25. Society (Jerry Hannan cover) (with Glen Hansard)
26. Should I Stay or Should I Go (The Clash cover)
27. Hard Sun (Indio cover)
Photos by: Rogerio Grassia
