Pearl Jam is a live force not to be messed with. In 2008, when they played the Verizon Center in Washington D.C., the venue tried to shut them down during their second encore, during which they had gone over their allotted time slot. The house lights were turned on and what did Eddie Vedder and company do? They kept playing, bringing down the house with their rendition of “All Along the Watchtower” (the Hendrix version). And that wasn’t even their last song.
While most of their grunge peers have moved on (one just now getting back together), Pearl Jam has continued to produce music and tour the hell out of the country, making them the last relic from that movement to still be doing so, and quite successfully at that. Records aside, it’s really their live show that’s been the reason they’ve been able to build and sustain the loyal legion of fans, who, like those of Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, and what ever form Grateful Dead are in, will always turn up and sell out a show. Consequently, the bootlegs and videos of said shows are everywhere, so if you haven’t seen them in person, you can still get a taste of the power of Pearl Jam on stage. A personal recommendation is the epic nine disc Live at the Gorge released in 2007 in which they play just about every song in their catalogue, and then some.
In many ways they’ve become an alt-rock jam band turning out sets that are long and exhilarating giving fans two hours of rock at the very least. One off covers, and 10 minute rendition of classics are just a part of the gig on any given night. They can take requests and break out rarities, for no two set lists are ever the same. Truth is, not many modern rock bands come close this; in fact, you’d be hard pressed to think of any others.
