Saturday, May 31, 2003

:: PEARL JAM ::

I am currently listening to the ringing in my ears that just won't stop. Why are my ears ringing you ask? Well, tonight was the night that Chris, Sean and I had been waiting many months for - Pearl Jam at G.M Place.

Is this just another day? This god forgotten place.
First comes love and then comes pain. Let the games begin.
Questions rise and answers fall insurmountable.


I've been to a fair number of good concerts in my life but this one ranks at or near the top. It was amazing. It was obvious right from the get-go that everyone there was in for an amazing night when the first act to take the stage wasn't show openers Idlewild, but Eddie Vedder and an acoustic guitar. He sort of snuck up onstage in the dark, said a quick "Hello" then sat on his stool long enough for people to start to whisper things like, "Hey, that's Eddie." or more realistically, "Holy Fuck, what's Eddie Vedder doing up there already?" What he was doing up there already was a version of "You've got to hide your love away." It was a beautiful rendition of the Beatle's classic, and sent the audience scrambling to their seats to listen.

Love boat captain take the reigns and steer us towards the clear. Here.
It's already been sung but it can't be said enough.
All you need is love.


45 minutes and one opening-band later, PJ took to the stage for real. And they rocked. Hard. Some of the highlights included: A 10 minute version of Even Flow, a loud full-of-energy version of Do the Evolution, and Better Man - which temporarily turned GM Place into the world's largest karoake bar as 18,000 people sang along and drowned out Vedder's voice, so he just stopped and let the crowd sing most of the song while he played guitar.

Is this just another phase? Earthquakes making waves.
Trying to shake the cancer off. Stupid human beings.
Once you hold the hand of love it's all surmountable.


But I think on of the highlights for me was the first slow-tempo song they did - Thumbing my Way. The stage lights dimmed right down, and the entire arena was instantly lit up with thousands of lighters. It was like being in a sea of tiny stars while the whole solar system revolved around 5 guys from Seattle.

Hold me and make it the truth.
That when all is lost there will be you.
Cause to the universe I don't mean a thing.
And there's just one word I still believe.
And it's love.


It was an amazing experience, and I didn't know I could get so much out of it. After all, It was just a bunch of music right? Wrong.

G.M Place was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment.

It's an art to live with pain. Mix the light into grey.
Lost nine friends we'll never know. Two years ago today.
And if our lives became too long would it add to our regret?


*lyrics "Love Boat Captain"


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