Pearl Jam

In "Love Boat Captain," Pearl Jam ringleader Eddie Vedder sings "Let the show begin" to an adoring New York audience on the band's first of two shows in the Big Apple. Like Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Karn Evil" without the pretense, the group states its intentions with a wink and launches into the blistering "Last Exit" from the 1994 album Vitalogy. After an inspired run through "Green Disease," the set loses momentum and things begin to fall apart. Vedder warbles between songs like a man fighting back vomit and the band reacts to his lack of energy with little zeal. The band goes through the motions on its breakthrough hit "Even Flow" before resurrecting itself by delivering a gritty and emotional version of fellow political upstart John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth." From that point on, the fire that propelled them to rock icon status gets in their pants and smolders through fan favorites like "I Am Mine," "RVM," and "Breath." Grief stricken over the loss of legendary Who bassist John Entwhistle, and the group treats fans to a sloppy yet reverent and passionate version of "Baba O' Riley.'" Pearl Jam's second night in New York City features a lean 32-song set that more than makes up for the previous evening's mediocrity. Opening with a cool, confident version of "Crazy Mary," the band steers through the emotional wreckage of "Save You," "Hail Hail," and "Whipping" like a hell-bound train. Vedder rediscovers the growl that made "Even Flow" so effective and applies it to the remainder of the set like heat to a torn muscle. The group is loose and snarly on a plethora of choice covers. "I Believe in Miracles" by the Ramones is confident and rousing, while the Beatles receive a stripped-down rendition of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," featuring Vedder, an acoustic guitar, and a stadium full of voices. Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" retains all its poignancy in the hands of Pearl Jam, and even the played-to-death "Alive" sounds alive, leaving one to wonder if grunge really is dead. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide